The Right Rewrite of Right
by inkburn
Summary: AU TYL fic. Also my first fic published online. In the middle of overhauling this story.
1. Rewrite 001: Operation Stop Clam Hunting

I thought of the beginnings of a plot for "**The Right Rewrite of Right**" ever since I saw a certain page of the KHR! manga. But I only started writing down the beginning on April 19, 2008… So this story has already been planned out with room for adjustment for in case crazy things start happening in the canon. 8P (**UPDATE 09/27/2009: **asdajsfjlk… So many elements in canon so similar to the draft chapters of this fic that have yet to be published online…)

I blame my being overly- curious about one seemingly unimportant manga panel (over just **_two_** particular objects shown in it) for snow- balling a series of ideas and brought to life this really scatter- brained creation I dare call a story. At the time I began writing, I wasn't quite happy with the kinds of KHR fan- stories (one- shots; most of which I found were geared toward the _yaoi_ genre... -**_disappointed_**&_sickofyaoi-_) I found regarding this certain story angle. (As of writing) no one else seems to be making a multi- chaptered story on this so I went ahead and made my own. I don't hope to impress anyone or inspire or meet anyone's expectations; I just want to practice writing fictional stuff (I'm not very used to writing fiction)... I just write what I want to read and what I don't often see.

It's the **first time** I've actually thought of a story where I have some idea how to end it... and this is also **_the first story I've ever posted on-line_** (_Wow_, what an achievement... I could be doing something else with my spare time…). In line with that, I also had trouble deciding on the title because I usually don't title my own work: "**The Right Rewrite of Right**" sounds like a tongue twister... But I think it's better than the original title I used when I was writing down the drafts (I'm **_still_** writing down drafts actually; I make this story up as I go along XP): "**To Dream of Dead Hawks**". I didn't feel that the original title completely covered the entire point of the story; only some parts of it... But according to Native American mythology, _dreaming of a dead hawk means that your enemies will be vanquished_. **_Oooh... _**

**BTW**, this is meant to be a multi- chapter story in the first- person perspective… Unless I find it necessary to switch perspectives to make things more interesting

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KHR! If I did I would certainly know what exactly those two particular items I've been wondering about are. Besides, I wouldn't be writing and posting this here if I owned KHR!  
**Warning: **Swearing... implied nudity... Mature/ adult themes... I put this under 'M' for obvious reasons.

* * *

**"The Right Rewrite of Right"**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 001: Operation Stop Clam Hunting**

Pilot Post Written: Saturday, April 19, 2008, 09:38:10 AM

Edited: Sunday, April 27, 2008, 03:50: 53 PM

Updated: Wednesday, September 10, 2008, 09:29:02 PM

Re- Updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:15:20 PM

* * *

This is so much fun.  
No, I _lied_. I'm being sarcastic here.  
I'm starving and **_fucking _**broke...  
I'm **_literally_** lost too (even though this place should be more than familiar to me).  
I'm pissed off and in danger of losing my mind.  
_Shit_, maybe I **_HAVE _**already lost my mind.  
I feel like crying right now.  
Fuck that. I **_should _**be crying.  
I should be classified shit- fucking **_insane _**right about now.  
This certainly wasn't in the job description.  
It's_... fucking **overrated**.  
_It's full of lies. Fuck, I hate lies.  
But even **_I'm_** a lie.  
Then again... It never really was in the job descriptions.  
**_Hell, yeah...  
_**We're fucking redefining **'_working overtime_'**.

* * *

**STARTING UP VONGOLA FAMIGLIA ARCHIVE FILE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM**

**LOADING…**

**20.82748927 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**SCANNING ARCHIVE FILES FOR VIRUSES... **

**LOADING PERSONAL SETTINGS... ACCESSING VONGOLA DATABASE**

**LOADING... **

**68.62473942 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**LOADING... **

**98.60024242 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**VONGOLA FAMIGLIA ARCHIVE FILE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM MAY NOW BE USED**

* * *

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

**Time: **02:00:45 AM

**Location:** Three- star Hotel. Name of location and exact coordinates blocked.

**Note:** CCC user name to be deleted after disposal of communications device.

**Archive Summary: **Rendezvous and weapons acquisition.

**Archive File Status: **_Downloading 67.89247823 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

"Good morning, Sir! Are you checking out right now?" The trying-to-be-bubbly hotel clerk from last night greeted me as I walked near the front desk. (The little bits of chewing gum stuck in her retainer are a Hell of a turn off... Not that she was **_that_** pretty to begin with.) I glanced out of the corner of my eye to check if she was alone.

_'Yeah, she's definitely alone.'_

"I will later." I replied. I'm not in the mood for any of her attempts at flirting; as a matter of fact, I haven't been in the mood for anything at all in the last few days. (Being a wanted man is definitely one of many reasons to blame for this.)

Then I walked away, knowing very well that I've left her looking at my back with a baffled expression. I'm too painfully aware how much attention I get from people. Ten years of pain from certain parties who must not be named out of self- preservation can do that.

I went to the mini café beside the hotel restaurant. It was still open but some of the personnel manning the night shift weren't looking a little too peaky. '_Must be the time…'_

I went up to the counter and ordered a tuna sandwich and a cup of black coffee to go. "Would you like anything else, Sir?" The cashier asked me. I tried to place where I've heard a voice like hers… I shook my head and took a couple of paper napkins from beside the cash register.

"No, that's everything." I told her. She nodded once to let me know she understood and rang up my order. Afterwards, I went outside the café to sit at one of the little tables set up near the door.

After taking it from my pocket, I flipped open the disposable cell phone I had with me to take advantage of the hotel's wireless Internet connection. Then I accessed the special chat program designed only for selected members of the Family and certain outside contacts' use.

I signed in using a temporary user name: it's a dummy one I've made especially for this type of mission. It would be deleted from the Family network the moment I disposed of the device. It's a precaution to prevent from _anyone_ from outside of the Family from hacking into the system using my previous communications as a digital trail… Leaving anything linking to the communication networks of the Family intact is very risky… not to mention stupid.

I looked up the list of Family members currently on-line: a little less than half… In some strange way, I felt slightly assured that the fact that even though that number of people were on- line; at least it meant that they had not fallen into enemy hands and were still alive. I scanned the list and buzzed one particular user name. '_Pick up, Fats.'_ I thought impatiently. I needed to talk to him about one of the crucial parts of my mission. Still buzzing the user name, I reached over to the next table to pick up the newspaper the customer beside me had left behind.

Once I got it, I opened it to a random section... '_Oh… how vindictive..._' I've opened it to the sports section: the headline on it was about a batter of some baseball team hitting the winning homeru...

I quickly turn it to the business section. "Bring a glass of water and my bill with my order." I told a passing waiter absently while pretending to peruse the reports on Japan's currency exchange rates. To pass the time, I scrolled through the options menu of the disposable cell phone while waiting for the food. It's almost a pity that I would have to discard the gadget soon. If my safety and the Family's security weren't at risk or being compromised, I'd say that this is a very nifty piece of technology. Trust the big mecha- geek to come up with something like this on short notice...

"Yes, of course, Sir." Nameless-night-shift-waiter-number-three bowed and went off toward the kitchens or wherever he goes to pick up food orders.

Still on a pretense of reading the newspaper, I leaned my elbow on the table and propped my head on my left hand… folding the newspaper in such a way so that my cell phone would be covered from view without being too obvious but just enough for me to be able to read what was onscreen. I made sure that my eyes were moving to make it look like I was reading, to the unsuspecting observer.

I checked the cell phone's screen every now and then, buzzing the user name I wanted to talk to using my right little finger.

Then: '_Finally…'_

* * *

**_-Clam Clan Chat-_**

**_-CCC Private Message Enabled-_**

* * *

**_GiantClam02: _**_¥0µ'®3 571££ 5\/\/1\/\/1\9? -®3£13ƒ-_

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_7-3¥ \/\/3®3 Ð3ƒ1\173£¥ 54® 70 ß£00Ð._

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_1 \/\/0\'7 74¥ £0\9; £0\/\/ 71Ð3 47 0300. 3)(p3(7 7-3 71Ð3 70 (0\/3 1\ 47 4ß0µ7 0400. _

**_GiantClam02: _**_¥0µ \/\/4\73Ð 70 4 \/3 4ß0µ7 0\/37-1\9? 1 17 4ß0µ7 ¥0µ® -1p\/\/®3(1\9?_

**_Clam010Pearl:_**_ 1 907 ¥0µ® Ð34Ð \/4\' (-37 4\Ð ¥0µ® p1®473 \/4p. 1 Ð0\'7 \33Ð -3£p \/\/17- 7-3 \4\/194710\ 4\Ð 7-3 ®0p3, 1 \3\/3® £13Ð (®4\/\/1\9. 1 Ð1Ð\'7 90 4-0®3 70 ®34Ð 4ß0µ7 ¥0µ® \3\/\/ Ð1(0\/3®13 4ß0µ7 7-31® 'ß®1££14\(3' 4\Ð '93\1µ'._

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_¥0µ Ð1Ð\'7 91\/3 \/3 7-3 \4\/3 0ƒ 7-3 -1p 1 -0µ£Ð ß3 741\9 \/\/-3\ 1 937 70 p0®7._

**_GiantClam02: _**_£0£ Ð1Ð\'7 7-1\ 7-47 ¥0µ 7-0µ9-7 0ƒ 17 7-47 \/\/4¥._

**_GiantClam02:_**_ ®19-7. 1'££ 3\Ð 17 70 ¥0µ \/\/-3\ ¥0µ Ð0(._

**_GiantClam02: _**_®3\/3\/ß3® 70 Ð1p03 0ƒ 7-1. 17' £473Ð 70 90 0ƒƒ 47 0145._

**_Clam010Pearl:_**_ 1 \0\/\/. \/¥ 9®µß' µ7 4®®1\/3Ð. 1'££ 937 \/¥ 7µƒƒ ƒ1®7 7-3\._

**_GiantClam02: _**_\/43 µ ®3 7-3¥ 33p ¥0µ 1\ 19-7 µ\t1£ ¥0µ £34\/3._

* * *

**_-Clam010Pearl has signed out-_**

* * *

I've already been typing in code in the first place. The text converted immediately into gibberish as I typed it out. It stayed in normal text for one second before it was converted, some of the letters omitted. However, that was enough time for me to read everything. It's one of the features of the new version of the software... I couldn't help but think that he's certainly outdone himself this time... But it was a pity and a waste that he couldn't do anymore, for a lack of time...

I paid for my sandwich and coffee and tipped the waiter who served them. ("Thank you, Sir; have a good morning.")

I normally would have ordered a large breakfast but... Lately, I've not had much of an appetite for anything... I bit a large chunk of my sandwich, ignoring the scandalized look the skinny French woman from the table across mine gave me. _('What the **Hell** do I care if my looks are wasted in your opinion, lady?'_) I gulped my glass of water (again she gave me a '_look'_; I will not waste my time describing what it looked like in detail.)

I picked up my coffee, still munching on the sandwich and went back out to the lobby. I felt wary about using the elevator and instead took the stairs to my hotel room. I've got a lot of stuff to get rid off and to lay out for the 'sharks'. If all goes well, I should be able to get them off my back for a while. Then I'll be able to work and move a little freely… but at the cost of the Vongola Family's morale and safety.

I didn't like the idea, but given the limited choices, there's not much I can do about it.

When I reached my room, I decided to take a cold shower before preparing to leave the hotel.

I didn't bother turning on the hot water. I needed to be awake and alert. Hot water would lull me into a false sense of security. That was something that I didn't need right now.

My insides already felt colder than the water pelting down on my head, dripping from my hair.

I couldn't tell anymore if I was still crying... or if I was crying at all... as the water sprayed into my face, ran down my back and over the marks _He_ left behind as solid evidence of that terrible day.

Five minutes later, my cell phone went off.

It's the alarm I've set the previous day to alert me of the time to check out of the hotel. I turned the water off after rinsing myself. Then I grabbed a towel to dry myself and the toothbrush I had put toothpaste on earlier before getting in the shower.

I quickly wrapped a spare towel around my waist and went out of the bathroom with my toothbrush still hanging from my mouth to stop the alarm. In my hurry, I accidentally stubbed my toe on the backpack I'd left lying on the floor outside the bathroom and nearly stumbled.

I swore silently and gave the still ringing cell phone an annoyed look. Then I blinked and gave it a blank stare when I actually _listened_ to the pre- set alarm tone:

"_Midori tanabiku, Namimori no_

_Dai naku, shou naku_

_Nami ga ii"_

...They made the Namimori Middle's Alma Mater a default tone...

...On second thought, I'll be glad to be rid of this phone. It's too attention- grabbing. I went over to the bedside table and hit the 'Stop' option while toweling my hair dry.

After I finished brushing my teeth, got dressed and prepared my disguise, I gathered all my stuff together (not that they had been _that_ badly scattered in the first place). I then separated my personal belongings (which would be transported to the hideout separately) from the other things that I would be bringing with me.

When I had made sure that I had everything, I locked the door and turned over the plastic 'Do not disturb' sign on the doorknob to make it read 'Please make up Room'. Then I went downstairs again, carrying my backpack, a messenger bag and my untouched coffee.

"I'm checking out now." I told the clerk at the hotel desk. This time it's a man in his mid- thirties at the desk.

"Will you be paying with cash or card, Sir?" I didn't answer his question and instead slap a wad of cash on the counter. It's a little more than enough to cover my hotel bill. His squinting eyes widened and he immediately got to work.

'_Well, he's certainly got ...better dental hygiene...'_ I thought as he smiled at me with his bulky looking dentures; he delivered the hotel's scripted greetings ("Thank you for staying with us, Sir. Please do stay with us again,") and bade me to "Have a nice day".

For a guy with such a shitty shift, he sure looks happy... '_Ugh... the power of money.'_

"Would you like some help with your luggage, Sir?" This time it's a bellhop with a half- loaded wheeled luggage rack. I don't think I saw him last night when I checked in... Probably one of the morning- shifts... _'What's up with these people being so chipper at three in the morning? That kind of cheerfulness should be only applicable after normal waking hours- like say, nine or twelve in the morning...?'_

"I don't have any other luggage, but thank you." I replied. _'Is he blind or something? I've only got two bags on me. What makes him think I need help?'_

Then I gave the bellhop a closer look: he smiled cheerfully and gave me a slight tip of the hat. I immediately caught sight of the small gold clam on the front of his cap.

_'Wait... the hotel's logo is a pearl_', I remembered. _'Ah... **you** guys...'_ I thought, mentally shaking my head. I couldn't help but be relieved that they had the sense to set up precautions on their own… Although I wondered who had managed to decode the order, seeing as the one of the few who had actually mastered all of the codes had been taken out only just recently…

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the spies who had been tailing me around the previous day: the busty redhead in bohemian dress... Then I saw her partner, a frizzy haired brunette with a bad posture. _'Shit, they're back.'_

One of them had taken out a cell phone. No doubt to inform their superiors that 'I' was leaving the building. I quickly handed the bellhop my backpack (containing my personal things, most of my better box weapons). He put it on the luggage rack on top of some similar looking backpacks and duffel bags and then followed me to the hotel entrance.

I hailed the first taxi that showed up and knocked on the trunk to signal the driver to open it. The bellhop opened the backseat door and stowed one of the backpacks in the trunk. I noticed that he had loaded the one sitting under the bag containing my things. It was exactly identical to the one I used, down to the frayed straps and scratched fabric. But I didn't say anything about it; I knew for a fact that it contained other weapons, other supplies and some back-up ring box weapons.

My original backpack contained most of my stronger and more regularly used box weapons. I had decided to send them back to the hideout before me since it could be cumbersome for me to travel with too many box weapons than I would need.

I then tipped the bellhop, slipping a folded piece of paper in with the money. The note contained orders I had written the previous night to '_take_ _care'_ of the spies that were following me.

"Thank you, Sir. Have a good day." He smiled and went off to '_accommodate'_ the spies that had been tailing me. I espied the small box of hotel chocolate tucked in his back pocket. _'Poison Cooking: "Compliments from the Dead".'_ I thought as I got inside the back of the taxi, tossing my messenger bag to the end of the seat behind the driver.

When I looked up at him, I immediately recognized him and wondered briefly if this arrangement was alright like this. I had to resist from giving him a short nod of acknowledgment. (Acknowledging an acquaintance in plain view of the Millefiore spies will give them a clear idea of who to go after once they finished 'taking care' of you.)

Instead I showed him the map Giannini had sent me: "This is the location."

Romario nodded to show he understood and stepped on the accelerator. "Alright." He replied while I put my untouched coffee on the floor between my feet.

We drove for almost an hour and a half. We didn't speak to each other. I busied myself once again by further sorting what I really needed and sending coded instructions to the owners of CCC usernames who were still online. The inside of my messenger bag had another container inside and some random clothes stuffed inside to make it look like it was actually full.

I put the things I needed into the container and got the stolen explosives from this one. The unnecessary stuff, I swapped with the things in my messenger bag. I then flipped open my cell phone again and accessed a soft copy of the instructions for wiring the explosives. I silently read and memorized them as we moved towards the designated location.

Once we reached the outside of the car rental garage, I received the plate number and model of the car I would be taking. I left my messenger bag in Romario's taxi and he handed me two storage boxes in exchange: "There should be another change of clothes in the car." He told me grimly. "There's a set of clothing that Giannini had sent. Along with some of your box weapons in the backpack you were given. He warns that you must not leave large traces of yourself for the Millefiore to pick up on. Your other weapons should also be hidden inside the car. Also…

"Please be careful."

I've heard that warning from Giannini before. Countless times by now, actually… Ever since I've conceived this plan to try and get around Millefiore's spies. He's been very worried over everyone since he heard the news. I don't blame him... and I would have to admit that I'm even a little afraid for him... He's all alone in that base right now... The others wouldn't be back until the end of the week; assuming they would still be able to get back… _alive._

"Thank you. Take care yourself." I nodded to him and got out.

"Wait- Take these too. It's chilly this time of year." Romario handed me a pair of black synthetic leather gloves. But I already knew that they were not really meant for protection against the cold.

I took them anyway and slipped them on.

'_They're a snug fit.'_ I thought. "_Thank_ _you_. And good- bye."

I turned around and walked toward the car rental garage's office. It's pointless to say 'See you later'… _'Especially when we don't know when that 'later' would be._'

The morning air was indeed chilly but I didn't care. It still felt much colder and heavier inside my chest again.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001 DISCONNECTED**

**CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

* * *

**STARTING UP VONGOLA FAMIGLIA MISSION FILE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM LOG**

**LOADING... **

**45.37198234 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**SCANNING MISSION LOGS FOR VIRUSES... **

**LOADING PERSONAL SETTINGS... ACCESSING VONGOLA DATABASE**

**LOADING...**

**78.87283423 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**LOADING...**

**99.00009123 PERCENT COMPLETE...**

**VONGOLA FAMIGLIA MISSION FILE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM LOG MAY NOW BE USED**

* * *

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**Time: **09:06:04 AM

**Location:** Empty road a short distance from Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note:** Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

Downloading mission objectives

**Mission File Status: **_Beginning mission file transmission..._

**Mission Status:**

**COMMENCE MISSION**

Deserted public road? _Check. _

Key out of the ignition? _Check. _

No trace of fingerprints on any surface? Steering wheel, dashboard, etc? _Check. Check. Check. Check. _

Car parked in a very sharp curve with an especially dangerous blind spot. _Definitely check. _

This was where I've ended up after almost three hours of driving around Namimori City from the car rental garage. While it's incredibly roundabout, the whole point of this "sweeping"… is to throw enemies off for the time being. The entire town is practically swarming with them. I'd almost gotten caught a few times even. I hated to think of what could happen if I **_do _**get caught; I've heard reports of torturebeing carried out on members and allies of the Family who refused to talk if they weren't killed immediately… Even talked to one _sggarista_ over the phone… seconds before he destroyed his cell phone to protect the communication networks… I got a surveillance report a few hours later telling me that he and the some of the other Japanese _Mafiosi_ in several separate locations had all, in a sense, committed _seppuku _[1] to keep the whereabouts of the base secret… _'…The **damn** idiots…'_ I found myself wondering over the next few weeks whether what they had done was stupid… or brave…

… Whether dying for me, of all people, was even worth it at all.

Pushing the memory of a smile in a doomed _sggarista's _voice, his warnings for me to stay away, to stay safe, gunshots, explosions, the taste of vomit on my tongue and the horrible ringing in my ears… I forced myself to focus once more on my own task: I had to make sure I do everything **_right_**.

One wrong move could trigger the enemies to come after me… and **_another_** death in the Family is not something that we need.

It's a bad time to become claustrophobic… or scared of anything for that matter.

But I suppose I have my current attire to blame for it. It's suffocating to breathe through this mask… but I can't risk leaving any too many traces of DNA for them to pick up. The full zip- up black body suit I've been given was designed for keeping all my perspiration from getting on the upholstery of the driver's seat. I would have to burn it later, along with the mask, shades, hat and gloves all at once after I'm in a good distance away.

There's no time for me to find an incinerator. '_Heh... Like I'd find one in **this** place...' _That's what those two storage ring boxes I have with me are for.

I stepped out of the rental car while unzipping the top part of the body suit. Then I took off my shades and the mask, grunting a bit as I pulled it over downwards to loosen it and over my head. Then I pushed the driver's side door close but not enough to fully shut it.

After that, I popped open the hood and messed with certain parts of the engine, just as Giannini had instructed. Also, just as planned, I damaged the engine just enough to mislead anyone who investigates into thinking that the engine was faulty to begin with.

Once I finished, I shut the hood and opened the driver's side door again. I left my gloves on to avoid making any prints while I cleared out the car. Reaching under the driver's seat, I pulled up the lever to open the car trunk.

I crawled inside the car from the driver' side and gathered up my things from the passenger seat. After I backed out of the car, the trunk was cleared out next. Once I finished, there was a small pile of ring box weapons on the ground and some junk.

I haven't put anything in the back seat but I checked it anyway just to be sure.

I wrinkled my nose at what I came up with from there... and dumped them unceremoniously next to the stuff I had gotten from the passenger seat and the trunk. There were food wrappings and some cans of drinks. _'Really... Just what the heck was this car used for? A trash can?'_

I checked everything I had on the concrete and deliberated on what to discard.

There's a change of clothes consisting of a black Armani suit, a long- sleeved business shirt, black tie, black socks... and a pair of black leather shoes...

I frowned at the set of clothes I'd been given. _'Really now...'_

I'm not complaining about the obvious care to match my current taste in clothing but... Do they **_really _**expect me to **_hike_** from here in _this_? I put the clothes away to change into later and returned my attention to the other things...

Then there's the full cup of coffee.

I still hadn't drunk a drop of it since I left the hotel **_or _**the car rental garage. It's long gone cold and I'm guessing that whatever particles in it have settled at the bottom of the cup by now. I decided to leave it for later when I've finished clearing the car.

I find some remnants of the rings I'd used on the floor under the driver's seat. They were of a lower grade than the ones I regularly use. Those tended to shattered after a couple of uses... I don't know why I've kept them. They must have fallen out of my wallet while I was driving.

Old empty magazines. '_Obviously don't need those.' _I don't use a gun. Nasty things are always in constant need of reloading. Those must have been left by the last hit man who used the car. I sure hope as Hell they weren't under me or else I would have come after them and given them a beating for that kind of carelessness. _'Or a warning at least.'_

**_Seriously_**, even a little thing like that is going get civilians and the police sniffing around. I decided to get rid of those along with the ring remnants, and my old clothes. I wished that I hadn't left the backpack behind at the car rental garage after taking the ring box weapons and the explosives from it. At least then I would have had a container to keep the stuff I collected from the car. I pulled my hat off and gathered the magazines into it, bunching up the knitted material into a makeshift bag. I also placed the pieces of the broken rings in it as well, mentally marking them to be incinerated. Then I moved on to check the floor under the front passenger's seat.

'_What the Hell is that?' _I fumbled in the glove compartment for a mini- flashlight. I switched it on and inspected the floor underneath the seat. '_Is that what I think it is?' _

There's a porn magazine underneath. I'm pretty sure that girl on the front cover's has had plastic surgery. Either that or it's shopped but still...

'_Who the Hell owns this?' _I frowned and picked it up; it's from last month but it's so worn out. I rolled it up and used it to poke at something which I think is alive.

After I've made sure that it is in fact **_not_** a living thing, I used the magazine to swat out from underneath the seat whatever junk is littering the floor of the car.

There are candy wrappers... the cheap kinds. _'I know I'm not the litterbug who left **these**.'_

Some pins that definitely had belonged to some hand grenades. '_What the Hell? Do they not clean out their cars in that garage?' _

I came up with a few dust bunnies and-

'_Oh, eww... I spy a used condom. _

'_No wonder the back of this car smells a little funky...' _I decided that when I get back to the hideout, I am definitely looking up the records for the last guy who used this car so I can give him a hands- on lesson on **_how_** exactly Vongola hit men should do their jobs...

I unrolled the magazine used it to scoop up the junk from the floor... quite glad to know that I'm burning my gloves later. I've had to pick up some of the stuff (_ahem,_ condom) the magazine hadn't been able to pick up.

Once I'm satisfied that I had not left any other potential evidence in the car, I placed together the things I have decided to keep in one pile and the things to be discarded in a separate pile a few feet away from the car.

I picked up the cup of coffee and went back to the car. I poked my head inside from the driver's side to make one last visual check. _'All in order.' _

I leaned further in and opened the glove compartment. After fumbling for a bit, I got a small bottle of rubbing alcohol. I poured some on the fingers of my left glove and put it back in the glove compartment. I also returned the mini- flashlight; it's property of the car rental garage. (While it's a small thing it might look suspicious if it's missing.) I backed out of the car and popped the lid off the cup of coffee. Then I spilt the coffee all over the floor and the driver's seat, taking care to sprinkle some in the passenger seat. I drank what was left over and wiped the cup with my left glove to remove whatever mark I may have left and tossed the cup inside the car, not caring where it landed.

'_It's an accident anyway. I was drinking while driving.'_

I went back to the pile and knelt down to pick up what I needed. Brushing my hair away from my eyes, I picked out from the small pile the set of explosives and a timer. I recalled Giannini's instructions on how to wire it to go off a couple of hours from now. '_They were stolen from one of the enemy's warehouses_,' he told me. '_They're extremely powerful... Powerful enough to burn up bones_.' I didn't bother asking him how they were stolen. Instead, I had him send me instructions on how to wire them by myself so I could put the plan in action.

I carefully made sure that the time and date on the timer was correct.

Once satisfied with my handiwork, I fixed it underneath the driver's seat and activated the timer. I slipped the key back into the ignition and started the car.

I loosened the handbrake and shut the door, after leaving the window on the driver's side open. Then I carefully guided the car from the outside, toward the edge of the curve. I jumped out of the way as a final steer and a great push sent it tumbling down off the road and into the trees. In about two hours the car will blow up, care of Millefiore explosives.

I am tempted to smile at the irony of my 'death'.

Well, it should buy me enough time to make it rendezvous point undetected. Meanwhile, our enemies will think that they have finally killed me.

But the thought still does not give me assurance in any way.

I returned to the small pile I had left on the side of the road. I pulled the zipper all the way down as I walked. Once I reached the pile, I stepped out of the body suit. I then used it as a makeshift bag to carry the small pile into the trees, a short walk away from where I'd had the car crash.

After checking if the trees provided sufficient cover, I decided to change out of my sweaty clothes. I had to get rid of them as soon as possible. Preparations had been made to ensure that I was seen and even photographed in these clothes by the Millefiore spies. I needed them to appear incinerated in my 'accident' once they catch up and come investigating my 'death'.

I slipped off my old clothes, taking care not to jostle out of place the concealed weapons from my body. Some of them had to be reattached so I took them off. Those were mostly ring boxes I had taken along for precaution. I separated the storage ring box which I planned to use to contain the things I needed to get rid off and another box which I would use to destroy the former.

After wiping the sweat off, I picked up the black slacks. My eyes fell on the long- sleeved shirt that had been prepared with the rest of the suit. '_There has to be some sort of conspiracy going on with the clothing department. Is there a memo that required us to wear shirts in the color of our respective flames that I was not aware of? They're going to turn us into fucking walking targets!' _Shaking the ridiculous idea out of my head, I proceeded to put on the black slacks. The socks came next, followed by the shoes. I picked up the long- sleeved shirt and unbuttoned it, slipping in my weapons and boxes in the hems as I did so. I retained the belt from my original attire since I noticed that I had not been provided one.

I paused and listened for any suspicious noises. I can't breathe a sigh of relief yet. _'I never can in these times now.' _

I returned my attention to fixing my gear again. However I still kept an ear out for any possible attacks. Next I slipped my other weapons into my usual hiding places, mentally ticking them off as I strapped on and secured them.

Once I was sure that all my gear was in place, I buttoned up and carefully tucked the shirt in before looping the belt into the belt loops of the slacks. I slipped the tie around my neck, under the shirt collar and knotted it with practiced ease.

Then I gathered up what I needed into the body suit.

I also took the disposable cell phone, turned it off and stuffed it in with my old clothes and the junk from the car.

I had time before the car blew up but I needed to be far away by the time it did. I tried to keep my breaths even and slow. '_This is not the time to be a coward'_, I scolded myself.

I took one of the storage ring boxes and flipped open one of the special covers Giannini had designed on one of the rings on my right hand. He had developed these ring covers (calling them "Auto Mammon Chain Ring Covers") just recently. It was only a prototype but it was meant to conceal powerful rings and their users a little before the Vongola Hunt started.

After charging the box with my flames, I gathered the make- shift bags (body suit and hat) and sealed them inside. Then I charged the other box and stowed the first one inside. I activated this ones' ability and set it to blow up at the same time as the car.

Then I walked back to where I'd left the car and hurl the box in the driver's seat hard enough to force a batter to bunt.

'_Major leaguers should be proud', _I thought sarcastically. I picked up my jacket and put it on, making sure the weapons I had concealed in my clothes didn't bulge. I don't want to give away the fact that I'm armed in case I run into some trouble later. Then I picked up my other things and secured them.

Without sparing my 'scene of death' a second glance, I set off toward the rendezvous point.

Time is something I cannot afford to waste... Time is something I believe I have truly taken for granted. _'How long has it been since that terrible day? It seems like ages but it's only been a few days. _

'_Why couldn't I have done anything? _

'_Could I ever forgive myself for letting it happen? _

'_What I would have given to turn back time and prevent it? All of it?' _I couldn't stop thinking of those questions as I trudged my way into the forest.

On hindsight, this is a very bad idea: hiking in the woods in obviously inappropriate attire, I mean. I must really stick out right now to anyone or anything watching this place.

I absently wondered for a moment if someone in the clothing department purposely gave me these clothes in order for me to be easily spotted. It's too easy to be marked as a _Mafioso_ and subsequently have open fire on my front or back once I've reached the rendezvous point.

'_OK, you're thinking crazy again. Keep walking, you.' _I could feel the sweat beginning to stick my shirt to my back while the afternoon sun beats down on me. '_Shut up_,' I told myself. '_Don't you dare complain; you do **not** have the time to waste for thinking something as trivial as that.' _

'_Besides, you're **way** past that stage; suck it up, idiot, you've got work to do_,' I thought to myself, frowning even more as I continued to walk...I forced to keep myself thinking of making it there, to where HE is, hidden until the Family can acquire fitting place for Him.

_Far away from the fighting. Away from the killing. Hidden safe from our enemies. _

Call it paranoia, but who knew what they were capable of now?

Highly advanced firepower? '_They have it.'_

Indispensable manpower? _'No doubt about it.'_

Clone technology? _'I fucking hope not.'_

Who knew what they would do if they got a hold of Him? What would become of **_us_** if anything of the sort would happen to Him? This was one of the reasons I had to be as thorough as I possibly could in removing all traces of my DNA from the car.

These are **_very_** dangerous times. Since the main headquarters had fallen, the Family has suffered terrible losses.

'_Keep walking... Keep shallow breaths...' _The enemy is not allowing time for us to grieve. They will never give us time to recover our injuries and bury our dead... This is the cruelty of my dark, cut- throat world. '_There's no time. Keep walking.' _

The attempts at negotiations had stopped ever since that day. What choice did we have...? All we could do now is go into hiding, lick our wounds and desperately rebuild our forces.

Despite all of it, the Family still wants to give a rightful valediction to Him. We owe Him that much.

This brings up the other purpose for my being here.

I try to quell my fear again. But it's easier said than done. I sneaked a glance at my covered rings. My right hand is shaking... I wonder how the Hell I am going to break the news to the others. _'Keep walking. There's no time to waste. Just go. As fast as you can.' _

I managed to keep going by forcing myself to keep calm. If there are enemies around, then I would hate to think what they could have done if they had found Him... I know I should hurry but I can't risk running. Any kind of surveillance the enemy may have set up around the area could be alerted immediately. Giannini had excessively warned me to proceed with caution at all times. So had Romario...

The over- all plan was simple: meet in the designated spot. Rendezvous with my allies and together bring Him back to the hideout. It sounded really damn easy were it not for the fact the enemy practically had eyes everywhere. If they were not in the form of spies and assassins, they were powerful, near- fucking invincible Strau Moscas.

I tried to make my breaths shallow again and tried to erase my presence as much as possible. Times like this make me think that that the Guardian of Mist is lucky to have the ability to create illusions in order to mask himself.

However there must be downsides to it; the Strau Moscas were equipped with heat sensors and a technology to detect rings. Unlike the previous Gola Mosca, they are purely machines. Illusions are made to fool the human senses. No matter how powerful, they may not be able to fool a machine that obviously lacks those senses. '_Especially a machine of the Millefiore power and technology's making'. _

I shook my head. '_There you go again, you're being naïve_,' I scolded myself. '_This is the Guardian of Mist, Rokudo Mukuro, you're talking about...'_ I recalled the few encounters I have had with him. _'Even after all these years there is only so much that you know he is capable of. You don't know exactly how powerful his illusions are so you shouldn't think of him so lightly.'_ I told myself.

Then I frowned at the thought. _'But you shouldn't think so highly of him either_.' Despite his services to the Family, there is still much to be doubted about his loyalty.

Well, since I obviously lack the ability to create illusions, I have to compensate as best as I can: I made sure to avoid any fallen branches, twigs and dried leaves as I walked in order to make as little noise as possible.

Since entering the forest, I had tried hard to keep my mind off the worst possible scenarios that could take place.

'_Maybe I should have sent up a scout ring box to check the area before I went into the forest.' _But I suppose it's a little too late for it.

I've been walking for a little more than an hour now. It's should be way past noon by now. It's probably around three o' clock or four... I don't check my watch. I don't want to deal with that awful feeling of guilt again. It reminds me how little time we have... How there was little to **_no_** time to save Him on that day... That time was still running for the world but had stopped for Him.

'_I'm getting hungry.' _I haven't eaten since that tiny little tuna sandwich from this morning. I've been too afraid to walk out into the open civilian areas and buy a better meal. I'm afraid of meeting someone I know and have them targeted by the enemies next simply because they are my acquaintances.

Since the enemies started killing us off, we'd been forced to cut nearly all ties... It doesn't go without saying that they still hurt. Despite how seemingly fickle, those bonds are part of what tie us together as Family. Having to break off all communication made me feel very alone...

Speaking of ties, I wonder if my allies have arrived by now.

I think it's a miracle I still haven't been spotted. I'm pretty sure that I should be sticking out because of my attire... Who the Hell in his fucking right mind would be hiking in a forest in an obviously expensive Armani suit and leather office shoes?

'**_Heh_**_, who am I to talk? I feel like I've lost my mind ever since that day.' _

Going off the subject, it's mostly thanks to the Auto Mammon chain ring covers around my rings on my right hand that they haven't spotted me yet.

Looking around, I see nothing but trees and the clear blue sky.

_Damn. _

**_The sky. _**

I looked down at the ground again as guilt and grief started to eat at my chest once more.

I **_hate_** this feeling. I've been trying to avoid it since I came here.

It forcibly reminds me of that day. It reminds me that I am still only human and that there was only so much I could do.

Hell, I can't bear to look at the sky now; it reminds me too much of Him... It was what He symbolized and that was what He was to the Family. _'...To all of us.'_

It would be a lie to deny that I had felt utterly powerless and alone after that terrible day.

I tried to force my mind off the awful feeling eating in my chest. I had to keep moving. I tried to do away the thought that I was alone.

Now that I had thought of it, I probably am **_not_** alone in this silent place.

To think in that foolish and simple way now is very dangerous.

I don't know _who_ or **_what_** could be around, waiting to pull the trigger on me or blast me into nothingness.

A great injury would be dealt to the Family's nearly diminished forces if I'm caught and killed.

While I don't want to think that my death would bring such a consequence, who else would be left to protect what remained of the Family if that happened? Those with fighting abilities, if not dead, are severely wounded or in hiding... Several more would suffer as a consequence and would likely be killed as well.

If I died before I can keep His wishes; before I can be able to protect the Family and all those He held dear in His place... then what the Hell am I supposed to be living for?

It was this thought that kept me from **_willingly_** killing myself right after that terrible day. I made Him a promise that I wouldn't ever again do something as stupid as throwing my life away again. '_But then again...It would take more than a building to kill me now.' _

I heard the unmistakable sound of an explosion coming from the spot where I'd crashed the rental car. The explosion tells me that it is 1:45 in the afternoon now. That was the time I had set the bomb and my cell phone to go off...

As of a few seconds ago, this _Mafioso _is now _'officially'_ a dead man.

While it **_is_** a slight reassurance, it still does not lessen my fears.

I'm still a little further from the rendezvous point... I'll have to hurry even more if I want to make it in time to the designated time my allies are set to arrive... I know can never take His place as the main protector of the Family but it shouldn't stop me from trying to protect them anyway. He would have wanted the Family to stay safe.

I had sworn to Him that I would continue to keep them safe...

'_Please... promise me...'_

I walked briskly for about twenty minutes, thinking of nothing but making it to the rendezvous point and listening for enemy attacks.

I don't need to look back... I know that there should be a high plume of black smoke coming from the crash site where I 'died'.

I could hear some humming noises and instinctively dodged behind a tree. Overhead, were squads of airborne scouts from the Black Spell of Millefiore. I assumed they are going to investigate my 'death'. I had purposely left the registration and the license plate of the car alone. No doubt they will find it rented from the car rental garage.

I stayed hidden until I am sure that they are far away. After the humming noises faded, I crept out from my hiding place and continued on my way.

About ten minutes passed. I'm still not any closer to rendezvous point now.

Once again, I found myself shaking and feeling sick... But this time I don't know why.

I'm tempted to calm myself the way I normally do... But I can't though. The problem with it is it that it risks calling attention of anyone and anything in this forest.

It has **_got_** to be the stress. '_When I get back to the hideout, I call first dibs on the punching sand bag in the work- out room.' _

Suddenly, an unfamiliar noise caught my attention and once again I tried to keep my fear from overtaking me. I heard the sounds of something moving somewhere in the direction of the rendezvous point.

I didn't... or rather... **_couldn't_** recognize who or what it is at the moment. Several possible and impossible scenarios raced through my mind as I drew nearer.

'_Am I caught? _

'_Did my comrades arrive already? _

'_Or perhaps were they the ones caught? _

'_Are the enemies nearby?' _

I didn't know and I'm honestly fucking scared. '_Stop it. This is not the time to be a coward. There is no longer any time to be a coward. _

'_You are not a child anymore. It's not a game and it never was.' _I am tempted to take a deep breath to calm myself but I forced myself not to. I couldn't afford to alert whoever it was in case they are enemies.

My mind was still racing, forming a plan as I continued to move forward: if it is an enemy, I would try to lure them away from the rendezvous point and from HIM.

Once I am a safe distance away from the rendezvous point, I will try to keep them busy, long enough for my allies to notice and give them time to move to the hideout entrance. I'm aware that I am severely disadvantaged without my more powerful box weapons and definitely without my most powerful ring.

'_Why the Hell did you decide to have most of your stronger ring box weapons sent to the hideout first?' _I scolded myself. '_Alright... Enough of regretting... That could be an enemy in front of you. Your priority is to protect your allies now.' _

_Hopefully_ they can take a hint and get Him back to the hideout before the enemy notices.

'_It's reckless, naïve, and definitely a stupid plan.' _

It's too simple. But I don't have time to dwell on the finer details and come up with a better one; I could be caught and killed before I could have the chance of making the element of surprise my advantage.

For some reason, in my panic, I remembered one of the items I saved from the car. I could feel my gut clench as I remembered what it took to have it come into my possession.

I felt sick... I could hear his voice... _'Please take it,'_

'_Vongola Tenth, I'm sorry. I can't do that now... I don't think I ever can...'_

I steeled myself for a confrontation.

If it **_is_** an enemy in front of me... _Please_, everyone, all the Guardians... '_...Tsuna...' _If I fail here...if I die here_... **Please**... 'Please forgive me...'_

* * *

**Time:** 02:13:40 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note: **

**Information to be sent to civilian public** **press**: Death by car accident. Accident caused by engine failure. Vehicle crash site located off public road at a blind spot/sharp curve.

**Information to be sent to mafia information network: **Death by timed explosive planted by Millefiore assassins. Scraps of clothing identified as property of target found on site of detonation.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola _Famiglia_ member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport... **ERROR:** **Mission file transmission failed... **

**Mission File Status: **_Cannot commence deletion of mission file. _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING **

**TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001 FAILED**

**RECONNECTION FAILED; CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

* * *

**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes!: **Don't read on without them!

**[PILOT POST] 04/19/2008: Thanks to the following:** urja shannan, black-red-blue, Sadistic Uchiha, unamariposa, and Orange-Butterfly-100 for reviewing my pilot post of half of Rewrite 01. This is the rewrite of the first chapter as promised, guys. It's obviously longer and hopefully you'll find it more informative regarding the identity of the protagonist (although I did leave one **_very_** obvious clue in the pilot post... I'm still wondering why nobody has spotted it yet.) I corrected some grammatical problems and plot errors (to the best of my abilities) and added some elements that were missing in the pilot post. I already know that I have a problem with maintaining consistency with my tenses. (My English professors seem to make it a point to torment me over it by making what should be perfect fives on my quizzes into annoying 'pass' marks of threes. It's **_injustice_**_, I tell you!_)

**[EDIT] 07/17/2008: **Apologies for the edits? OK, I apologize then; but it looks a lot cleaner and a bit more computer- _ish_ now, eh? I put an anti- plagiarism note too.

**[UPDATE] 12/29/2008: **I changed my penname _again_. Just felt like it anyway. I was kind of bothered that the abbreviation of my second penname is "BL" (when I don't write BL at all). I also added in the other details that were kept out of the previous version. Font size 10, single spaced and font style Calibri, the pilot post was originally **16 **pages long (Author's notes included). The updated version that came after it was **22** pages. The **_real _**full version was actually **25 **pages… But then I cut out the middle part and put it somewhere later because I thought it was already more than enough of an "info overload" for anybody (even me).

**Clam Clan Chat Conversation: **"**_GiantClam02_**"****is Giannini, the Vongola Family's Weapons Tuner (or "Mecha- artist" he claims). 'Giant', cause he's huge (-coughobesecough-) and '02' because he's '_ni' _(two… y'know… because his old man is Gian**_ichi_** '_ichi' _meaning 'one'), while "**_Clam010Pearl_**" is the temporary username our narrator used. It's deleted immediately after the cell phone was disposed of so it definitely won't pop up again in the future. While the 'pearl' part makes the username sound girly, my justification for using it is: oysters form pearls by coating their spit around particles of dirt or very small sea creatures as a self defense mechanism to protect it. _Clam010Pearl's_ task is to try to protect the Family by purposely taking 'damage' (faking death). Also, '**_pearl_**' is a reference to the user's present location, the "three- star hotel with a **_pearl _**logo".

I purposely had them have the word 'Clam' in their usernames as a reference to Vongola… because (_Pft… _Everybody should know this by now.) 'Vongola' is Italian for 'clam'… Babelfish keeps giving me '_mollusca'_ whenever I have it translate 'clam' into Italian, but that's completely beside the point...

Also, if anyone's noticed, the chat conversation has a lot of references to the sea and ships, etc. (It's very tacky but then again, the Vongola is quite eccentric in itself. It **_does_** employ embarrassing ridiculousness in its weapons technology... like the normal Dying Will Bullet). It's in a way a code, which hopefully you'd been able to understand. If you didn't understand it then, well, you're **_not_** supposed to unless you work for Vongola. LOL. Kidding.

Here's the translation of what was being talked about:

* * *

**_GiantClam02: You're still swimming_**_? _(You're still alive?)**_-relief-_**(This is an emoticon. Obviously he's been worried) _That's good. _

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_They were definitely **sharks **_(Millefiore spies)_ to **blood**_(Reference to Family members or in this case our narrator. This means Clam010Pearl was being followed and from the looks of it, those are very difficult spies to shake off.)

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_I won't stay long; **Low tide at 0300**_(I'm leaving at 3:00 AM)_. **Expect the tide to come in at about 0600. **_(Expect me to arrive at about 6:00 AM)

**_GiantClam02: _**_You wanted to ask me about something? Is it about your **shipwrecking**? _(Shipwrecking- the fake car accident Clam010Pearl did to throw the spies off.)

**_Clam010Pearl:_**_ I got your **dead man's chest **_(The explosives stolen from the Millefiore warehouse) _and your **pirate map **_(The_ c_oordinates or directions for the locations he needs to go to)_. I don't need help with the **navigation and the ropes**_(Where and how to set the explosives),_ I never liked cramming. I didn't **go ashore **_(go on-line)_ to read about your new discoveries about their 'brilliance' and 'genius'._

**_Clam010Pearl: _**_You didn't give me the **name**_ (plate number)_ of the **ship **_(car) _I should be taking when I get to **port**_ (rental car garage)_._

**_GiantCalm02: _**_LOL didn't think that you thought of it that way. _

**_GiantClam02:_**_ Right. I'll send it to you **when you dock **_(When you arrive at the garage)_._

**_GiantClam02: _**_Remember to dispose of **this **_(he means the cell phone)_ soon. It's slated to go off at 1445 _(It will self destruct at 2:45 PM)_._

**_Clam010Pearl:_**_ I know. My **grub's **_(food)_ just arrived. I'll get my stuff first then._

**_GiantClam02: _**_Make sure they keep you in sight until you leave._

* * *

Yeah... That's just about it. It's pretty lame (but actually, I think it's corny) but I'm in no mood to invent a better code that's decipherable for the general public (isn't it why it's called a **_code_** in the first place?). But I think it's better than writing the whole conversation in **_Morse code_**. (Then nobody will be able to understand anything at all! _Mwehehehe_...).

(**_UPDATE: 09/11/2008_**: Entire chat conversation translated to £337 5p34k... **_Hahaha!_** Now Vongola communications are doubly- secure! In case you're wondering, I don't read/speak/write £337 that well. There are 'converter' sites (similar to Babelfish) for it.) There's also a reason why the guy had to hide his cell phone screen: anyone can actually look at what's on a person's chat screen... or ATM for that matter... if they zoom in the lens of a video camera. But that depends on the where you're standing and what kind of camera you're using. Although, most of the cases I've heard this trick being used take place in airports. Maybe that's why they've been strict about those lately. Identity theft is pretty nasty.)

[1] **_Seppuku: _**Originally done by the samurai as a way to die with honor... _Mafiosi_ are also called "men of honor". In this case, they preferred to die rather than rat out their base's location. Whether it was a brave sacrifice or a dumb move is up to the reader's interpretation. The narrator is definitely uncertain of what to make of it.

Let me know if I've piqued your interest to continue reading this crap. So I can decide if it's still worth continuing.

If you mean to ask, this is **_definitely_** set in the TYL Future Arc. :D

Till the next time! **_Bye- bee!! _**

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**PREVIEW:**

**Rewrite 002: Pretend Mafia Tag and a Solo Snowball Fight**

**Time:** 02:00:45 PM

**Location:** A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 3rd floor, South Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Deactivation of Ring Box Weapons require the user to extinguish their Dying Will Flames

**Archive File Summary:** Locate the Tenth Vongola Boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi and Tenth Vongola Guardian of Storm, Gokudera Hayato.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 02.35873324 percent complete..._

**STANDBY FOR ARCHIVE FILE 003 TRANSMISSION**

'_So they're not on this floor. Then where could they be?'_ He wondered to himself. He decided to try the third floor. He was banking on them being in either the lounge or in Tsuna's office, presumably busy with Tsuna's paperwork or preparing for the meeting they had to keep with a rather new mafia family.

He was only a few steps away from the third floor when his ears picked up the sound of muffled movement. Feeling a little worried, Yamamoto jumped the last few steps and raced toward the source of the noise.

And then...

**_CRASH. THUMP. BLAG!_**

**_CHOMP._**

"_GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!_" A loud scream pierced throughout the entire floor of the mansion.

**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION?**

**(Y/N?)**

* * *

For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

...I've really got nothing to do on my summer vacation... I don't promise to update as often as anyone likes. I have a life offline.


	2. Rewrite 002: Mafia Tag & Snowball Fight

Yey! Second chapter! This is an achievement for me! (-mutter- _yeah, right_…) I gave myself a deadline: post the second chapter a week after the first chapter went online. But... **_Geh_**_... _obviously I didn't stick to it... I have **_no one_** editing, proofreading and beta- reading for me so it takes me some time to spot my own mistakes and plot errors. Really not easy when you're trying to write something rather complicated. I've got a long way to go as a fiction writer, but practice makes perfect, right? XP

Before proceeding to read the actual second chapter, please read this first. This is so things don't get too confusing and so you won't find yourself wondering if the events that are taking place are happening in the past, future or present... If you've noticed in my first chapter, I had things like '**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE**' and '**TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE DISCONNECTED**', etc...

**_Anything_** with '**ARCHIVE FILE**' attached to it is a flashback. It's usually in a third person perspective. You can't read what a character is thinking unless the character himself or herself is the one the archive file started with or is in charge of narrating it (flashback). Most of these archive files are about events regarding an event in the adult Tsuna's past (like the one at the beginning of this chapter) or a narrating character's recollections before an event (like in the beginning of Chapter 1).

The **ARCHIVE FILE** details are the: **Time**, **Location**, **Note** (if applicable), **Archive Summary** and **Archive File Status**. I don't put a date in because I obviously don't know what dates the events in KHR! are taking place. It also gives me fewer details to worry about.

Anything labeled with '**MISSION FILE**' means that it's taking place in the narrator's present or written in a third person perspective. But usually these are the ones written in first perspective and will (hopefully) make up the bulk of the chapters of the story. A **MISSION FILE**'s details include: **Time**, **Location**, **Note** (if applicable), **Mission Objective**, **Mission File Status** and the **Mission Status**. '**Mission File Status**' and '**Mission Status**' are not to be confused with each other.' **Mission Status**' serves as the beginning and end marker for a '**MISSION FILE**' part of the chapter.

An '**ARCHIVE FILE**' or a '**MISSION FILE**' with a '**DISCONNECTED**' in its label means that it will continued in another part of the chapter or in the next chapter, depending on the narrating character's train of thought. A '**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE ??**' will appear after the archive file section, meaning that the flashback is over and the story in real-time will resume. All other label types are self- explanatory if you're used to having your computer failing on you. (Like me…?) You'll get it soon enough. A regular chapter will end with a preview of the next chapter as either an '**ARCHIVE FILE**' or a '**MISSION FILE**' with a disconnected transmission. Then whether I feel like it or not, an **OMAKE** section will follow. _Okeish?_

I hope that clears things up and that you do your **own** mission, which is to **read and review**! Thanks in advance! XD

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own KHR! And its incredibly out of this world characters. If I did, I wouldn't be writing something like this... I would be making my own manga or anime!

**Warning: **Swearing, killing, and kitty- cruelty… and **_gore_**! The mafia isn't just about sleek suits and obscene amounts of money. It's not a game and it should never be.

* * *

**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 002: Pretend Mafia Tag and a Solo Snowball Fight **

Written: Monday, April 28, 2008, 06:30:36 PM

Edited: Monday, July 14, 2008, 06:28:20 AM

Updated: Monday, September 29, 2008, 11:41:40 AM

Re- updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 02:00:45 PM

**Location:** A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 3rd floor, South Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Deactivation of Ring Box Weapons require the user to extinguish their Dying Will Flames

**Archive File Summary:** Locate the Tenth Vongola Boss, Sawada Tsunayoshi and the Tenth Vongola Guardian of Storm, Gokudera Hayato.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 89. 86342375 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

_'I think I'm lost...' _Yamamoto frowned, wondering if he had gone in the right direction. They had only been here for a week but they spent more time _outside_ of the mansion than in it.

It **_should_** be understandable that he wasn't too familiar with the place. '_Excusable…'_ To anyone who hasn't spent much time indoors, the mansion's corridors were a labyrinth... _'I wonder why the paintings on this floor are all of landscapes...' _He thought absently as he gave one of the mansion's interior decoration pieces a passing curious look. Then he yawned openly. "And I wonder where Tsuna and Gokudera went off to..."

He looked at his surroundings again.

It turned out he wasn't alone in the corridor.

A couple of Vongola _Mafiosi_ caught sight of him. They quickly moved aside to clear a way for him to pass. _'Hmm, never seen them before... They must be new...'_

Both were dressed in the uniform black suits, shirt and tie; one of them was looking quite snappy and the other a bit sloppy... like he wasn't used to being dressed in formal attire… Well, Yamamoto could relate to him a bit on that.

"_Buongiorno _[1], _Signor _Yamamoto!" Both of them greeted him in loud but obviously nervous voices. Both of them were speaking in Italian, he noticed: Tsuna did make good his word to have him practice speaking Italian by ordering almost all of his lower- ranked subordinates to speak to him in that language... Yamamoto remembered with slight embarrassment his alleged 'butchery' of the "beautiful _Italiano_"… the mother tongue of most of the Italy- based _Mafiosi _of the Vongola. He was pretty sure Gokudera's blood pressure rate was going to get higher than should be normal for someone his age...

"Hello... and you don't have to use the '_signor_'." [2] Yamamoto replied, giving the two men his trademark smile to put them at ease. Trying to befriend the rookies; build up a rapport and keep up the morale. That was his job as a _capo_, Reborn had told him. Then he started a mental countdown for a display of superior- subordinate distance: _'Three… Two… One…'_

"But... That would be very disrespectful, _Signor _Yamamoto!" One of the men protested. '… _And here we go… **again**.' _...Typical new mafia recruit's behavior... '_There's just no convincing these guys, is there?'_ Yamamoto sighed. _'No matter how many times I or Tsuna tell them to drop with the formalities...' _

"Ah, never mind then. Are you guys new?" He then asked conversationally. "You both seem to know me but I don't know you. What're your names?"

The two men glanced uncertainly at one another, as if unused to being treated with such courtesy, before humoring him: "Er... I'm Mariano, Sir." One of them volunteered. (Yamamoto wondered if he was Japanese… Or at least had Japanese blood in him; he almost looked it... But he had a very slight, European- sounding accent... Italian or Spanish maybe? He judged him to be much younger than himself; estimated to be about nineteen or twenty years old at the very least.)

"My name is Felicio, _Signore_ and we've been here for two weeks actually, Sir." The other answered. "We've just been assigned from the Ninth's to join the Tenth's security unit." (This guy was purely an Italian, no doubt about it. But his Japanese was good... He hardly had an accent at all. Maybe he lived in Japan before? He looked about Yamamoto's age.) [9]

_'OK... So they're not so new then...'_ Yamamoto decided. "_Aah_... I see... Anyway, have any of you seen Tsuna- I mean the Tenth?" He quickly corrected himself. He'd learned before that newly recruited _Mafiosi_ and even the newly transferred ones from the Ninth's contingent were uncomfortable calling their present Boss by name, much less his nickname.

But it made him feel strange, calling Tsuna anything else... _'He's bound to have passed by this floor on the way up, anyway. Maybe one of them knows where he went... Who wants to bet that they'll call Tsuna 'Tenth'?'_

"The Tenth? No, sorry, _Signore_. We haven't seen him since yesterday." The second _Mafioso_ (Felicio) admitted looking rather embarrassed. Mariano simply offered him a shrug while slightly tilting his head to one side. It made him look a bit quizzical and sheepish, in Yamamoto's point of view.

_'I knew it.' _Yamamoto sighed to himself when he heard the other man say 'Tenth'. He hummed in thought for a second before deciding to try another way to locate Tsuna.

"Oh, alright... Then what about Gokudera then? Have either of you seen him?" Yamamoto then asked. _'Wherever Gokudera is, Tsuna's bound to be nearby since Gokudera usually sticks to him like glue...' _He mentally reasoned. '_Or more like_ _a seeing- eye dog...'_

But instead of an answer, he received blank looks from both men. Yamamoto blinked and frowned slightly, politely puzzled from the lack of response. "Uhm... Gokudera? You know…? Gray hair? Always smoking a cigarette?" He tried again but still got blank looks from the two. "... Wears a suit?" _'_

_'Oh yeah, that's helpful, Takeshi, you're wearing a suit too. **Newsflash:** Just about every member of the Family in the mansion is wearing a suit...' _He **_still_** got blank looks from both. _'Oh, right... I forgot... They're (still) new..._'

"Is he an old man?" The younger- looking one of the new _Mafiosi_ (Mariano) had ventured to ask. He received a light but sharp kick to the shin, courtesy of Felicio. ("Shut up, you **_idiot!_**" He heard Felicio hiss admonishingly at him through his teeth.)

Yamamoto sighed to himself. He'd given a rather generic- sounding description of his fellow Vongola Guardian_. 'He's right though... I may as well have described an old man...' _Yamamoto thought amusedly. It could have applied to any random _Mafioso _in his late fifties or sixties... But Gokudera is the same age as Tsuna and himself. Maybe he should have mentioned age...

"Well, thanks anyway. I'll go find them myself." Yamamoto turned to leave.

"Wait, we'll help you look for them, Sir!" Felicio volunteered. ("We are?" Mariano blinked once as he said it in surprise and got an elbow to the ribs. "_Ow!_")

"No, that's okay. I can do that myself." Yamamoto smiled and waved as he walked away. "I'll see you two around. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, Sir!" The two affirmed and went back to patrolling the second floor.

Yamamoto gave the expensive paintings decorating the corridor another look of passing (dis)interest before resuming his search for his two friends. (He could hear the two _Mafiosi _bickering in lowered voices but it was no doubt about the use of '_Signor' _in conjunction to his name.) _'So they're not on this floor. Then where could they be?'_ He wondered to himself. He decided to try the third floor... He was banking on them being in either the lounge or in Tsuna's office, presumably busy with Tsuna's paperwork or preparing for the meeting they had to keep with a rather new mafia family... Most likely the latter location and the latter activity...

He was only a few steps away from the third floor when his ears picked up the sound of muffled movement. Feeling a little worried, Yamamoto jumped the last few steps and raced toward the source of the noise.

And then...

**_CRASH. THUMP. BLAG!_**

**_CHOMP. _**

"_GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!_" A loud scream pierced throughout the entire floor of the mansion.

_'Ah...! That must be Tsuna!' _Yamamoto turned sharply and followed the sound. He caught sight of the office door ajar and assumed that Tsuna was in there. A loud string of curses, apologies and admonishments had followed the scream.

"**_ACK!_** What the **_Hell_** are you **_doing_**!? You **_do not_** bite the Tenth! _Boss_, are you okay? **_Are you alright!?_**"

_'And **that** there is definitely Gokudera... Tsuna must be okay then... Double- lucky!'_ Yamamoto thought as he pushed the door open and peered inside.

Then he had to force down a laugh when he saw the scene inside the office: "**_Uri!_** Just **_WHAT_** the **_Hell_** has gotten into you today?! You've been acting very naughty since this morning! What is **_that_** for?!"

The very amusing sight of Gokudera scolding and prying his animal box weapon off Tsuna greeted him when he walked into the room.

"'_sup_, Tsuna?" Yamamoto greeted his long- time friend and Boss (who was currently looking slightly panicked over his arm). "Everything alright here?"

"Ah! Yamamoto!" Tsuna greeted him after he was sure that his arm and his sleeve had not been bitten through. "I'm fine, thanks." (Uri mewled when it saw Yamamoto. On the other hand, Gokudera scowled irritably at him before looking down to glare at his box weapon.)

"**_I'm so sorry!_** **_I'm so sorry_**, Boss! _I'm so sorry!_ I'm so sorry! I don't know what's wrong with him today!" Gokudera then suddenly bowed several times in apology. At the same time, he tried to keep a firm grip on the squirming little animal box weapon with both hands. "**_I'm really very sorry!_**"

Tsuna looked up from his arm. "It's okay, Gokudera- _kun; _he only bit my sleeve. I was just surprised..." He tried to smile reassuringly, holding up his arms up in a gesture to try and calm his Right hand man down.

"_Oh_... That's a relief..." Gokudera looked calm for a moment. Then he suddenly resumed scolding his animal box weapon: "**_Bad_**_ Uri!_"

"_Nyao_..._!_"

"_Are you talking back to me, **cat**?_"

"...That's a _fast_ recovery..." Tsuna wondered aloud while staring at him. Gokudera now held the kitten- sized animal by the scruff of its neck, dangling it a bit of an arm's length away. Uri flicked its long, whip- like tail back and forth, flattening its ears against its head and mewled in response to its' master's scolding once more. (Both Yamamoto and Tsuna couldn't help but think that this kind of scene was better suited for a parent and a repentant child; not a human and an animal box weapon...)

… It looked so **_pitifully_** **_pathetic_** and the tone of its mewling matched its current appearance. Uri then stared entreatingly at Tsuna and Yamamoto while Gokudera continued to scold it.

Tsuna looked uneasily back at it… Yamamoto noticed that he looked like he wanted to say something on the matter to Gokudera... [3]

Then Uri mewled very pitifully again. '_Aww… Poor thing…'_

"Now, now... Don't be so hard on him, Gokudera. He's still just a kitten. He's just being playful." Yamamoto laughed. He reached over tried to pet its head. Uri diverted its full attention to him and began batting one of its large paws at his fingers, large eyes widening even more as it regarded him with interest.

_'How cute,'_ Yamamoto thought, grinning as he began to pet the animal box weapon kitten's flaming ears.

Gokudera, however, suddenly moved the kitten away from his reach, scowling. "I **_know _**he's being playful, but I also know firsthand that his paws and teeth can **_injure_**," He snapped, irritated and exasperated.

He then used his free hand to catch hold of box animal's rear legs to stop it from wriggling. Uri suddenly leapt into his chest by using it as a foothold. ("_ACK! **URI!?**_") The movement surprised Gokudera, forcing him to catch it out of reflex.

He ended up having to make a cradle with his arms so he wouldn't drop it. The animal box weapon then curled up snuggly (Yamamoto could almost swear it was also looking _very_ **_smug _**for that matter) in the man's arms, purring as it rubbed its head affectionately against its master's chest. [4]

"Oh, _stop **trying** to be cute_… I'm **_very_** angry with you right now." Gokudera grumbled. ('... _Yeah right..._' Yamamoto and Tsuna thought at the same time. Yamamoto was pretty sure that the bridge of Gokudera's nose looked a bit pink.) He glared down at the animal box weapon and tried to disengage it from scratching and pawing at his necktie... and received an affectionate little lick on his nose for his efforts instead. ("_What **ARE** you, a **dog**?!_")

"_Hahaha!_ He's so friendly, Gokudera! But what's he doing out in the first place? Did you take him out to play?" Yamamoto gave the box weapon's belly a rub, earning him a long, contented purr and an irritated glare from its master.

"**_No_**, Idiot; I was activating one of my boxes and he suddenly popped out." The irate Gokudera snapped as Uri began to nip and nibble at his necktie. "... But I could have sworn I separated him from the rest of my boxes this morning." He then grumbled under his breath. "Uri, **_stop _**that. (Uri had taken pawing playfully at his necktie as if it were a string of yarn) And what am I, _five?_ I don't _'play'_ with him, Idiot, I use him to **_fight_**. He's a high precision **_WEAPON_**, **_not_** a **_pet_**!" He then added in annoyance.

Said 'high precision weapon' wriggled in its master's arms to get a better foothold, mewling and purring as it did so. ("Oh, _shut_ _up_, you little **_pain_** in the ass..." Uri simply just nuzzled its head against its master's chest again and meowed.)

"Well... all of your boxes look the same..." Yamamoto said thinking back on the boxes he once saw attached to Gokudera's belt...s.

Gokudera was about to retort (probably to start another 'body part' argument) when Tsuna interrupted.

"But he sure acts like a pet kitten most of the time." He laughed as the animal box weapon stretched up to reach beyond Gokudera's shoulder and play with his gray hair. (It had grown out from the hairstyle that looked similar to his former tutor's, Dr. Shamal. This was because Gokudera by now wanted nothing to do with him... Not that it made any difference... Gokudera had by now taken to wearing his hair in a short ponytail whenever he was working. But right now, it had gotten loose because of Uri's present antics. [5])

Gokudera reddened in embarrassment at Tsuna's observation... and even more so in annoyance when Yamamoto started laughing at Uri's antics.

"Shut **_up_**, **_Idiot_**." Gokudera snapped. But he only succeeded in making Yamamoto laugh even harder. (Yamamoto thought he had heard something somewhat similar earlier... Like a déjà vu that didn't happen to him... Did that make any sense at all?)

… Besides, he couldn't help it: Gokudera's current appearance was just not making Yamamoto take him seriously...

By this time, Uri had scrambled up from Gokudera's shoulder and onto his head.

While it was cute for Uri, it was making Gokudera look quite silly... and what made it worse for Gokudera was that Tsuna was laughing at him (or mostly at Uri) now. (He most likely just assumed he was the one being laughed at since Tsuna was looking in his general direction.)

"_Che... **Fine**_, be that way, stupid cat." Gokudera grumbled and dug inside his jacket for the storage box he mentioned he had meant to open earlier. "Here's the one you wanted, Boss."

He handed Tsuna one of his skull embellished boxes. Uri was still balanced precariously on his head and purring contentedly on its perch.

Tsuna took it and held it up for him to open. Gokudera made his replacement Storm ring emit a flame. Then he inserted the flame into the hole...

The skull- embellished box in Tsuna's hand broke open to reveal another box of roughly the same size.

Once Gokudera's hands were free again, Uri took the opportunity to hop back into his arms. It curled up, snuggling in his arms, and fell sound asleep. (Yamamoto could have sworn it had on another smug look on its face.)

"Thank you, Gokudera- _kun_." Tsuna turned the box over in his hands, to look at the fleur-de-lis design serving as its lock. [6] Then he gave the napping animal box weapon a curious look. "I didn't know box weapon animals could sleep..."

Gokudera had crossed his arms so he could hold Uri more comfortably and not drop it (again). But he was still looking mildly irritated… The new source of his annoyance came in the form of Uri's long tail (which was swaying and twitching every which way).

"Err... well... he's very... _strange_... for an animal box weapon, Tenth." He admitted, brushing the animal box weapon's long whip-like tail away to keep it from curling around his neck and shoulders.

"It's sure got a mind of its own." Yamamoto chuckled. Then he asked, "What's with the box, Tsuna?" He tried to get a better look at the box Tsuna was holding.

"Uhm... Maybe later..." Tsuna hurriedly stuffed it in his pocket, looking slightly flustered. Yamamoto had glimpsed the time on Gokudera's watch: 02:20 PM.

"We have to get going now, right? The driver should be here by now. Dino- _san_ told me it's better to show up early and prepared, especially since it was scheduled for weeks now."

Gokudera, surprisingly, did not make a crack about the Tenth Cavallone Boss. Instead he nodded his head in agreement and tried to disentangle the napping Uri's claws from his jacket sleeves.

"Do you think they'll keep their end of the agreement?" Yamamoto asked, looking concerned.

"They haven't agreed to **_anything_** yet, Moron." Gokudera snorted from his place. He'd managed to get one paw unhooked but had trouble prying off a second.

"Well, that's what we have that meeting for, right? They must have a reason for the things they did so I think we should give them a chance to explain. ("They **_killed _**our people, Boss..." Gokudera muttered angrily.) Hopefully, we can convince them to keep the peace and from harming those who aren't involved." Tsuna said, picking up his coat and slipping his woolen mittens with the red '27s' knitted in them inside his pockets.

"I still don't trust them, Tenth." Gokudera said, frowning seriously. "...and I have a bad feeling about the whole thing..."

"Me too, Gokudera- _kun_. But we have to be fair and hear them out. I don't want anymore blood spilled because of this, Vongola's **_or_** theirs." Tsuna pocketed the white box and checked his own watch, sighing. "I wonder what Reborn would say if he saw me now? I bet he'd kick me on the head, tell me it's a perfect fit for his foot and that I'm being soft again."

"That's sounds like something he'd do." Yamamoto smiled sadly at the memory of the little hit man. Gokudera had fallen silent too.

It had been almost a year when they had heard about the death of Tsuna's Arcobaleno tutor.

All of them felt the loss badly since Reborn was not only a mentor to just Tsuna... He'd practically raised all of them since middle school... And Bianchi took it especially hard since she was in love with the Arcobaleno. She was inconsolable despite everyone else's efforts to cheer her up.

Yamamoto recalled to himself the time when Gokudera, despite the childhood trauma he received from her, had 'tried' talking to her... But he wound up bedridden for three days for his trouble. (He recalled that Gokudera had groaned to himself 'Why did I even bother…?' repeatedly during the entire time.)

Then he noticed that Gokudera shuddered (for what seemed like no reason to him and Tsuna... But he was probably thinking of the same thing as Yamamoto...) and looked down at the sleeping animal box weapon: "**_Oi_**, Uri. **_Wake up _**and go back inside your box."

He then shook his left arm experimentally, trying to rouse the animal box weapon.

"... Gokudera, why don't you just extinguish the flames on your ring...?" Yamamoto asked him, looking at him inquiringly with one raised eyebrow. Really, that's common knowledge for anyone who handles box weapons on a regular basis…

"_Err_... I **_know_** that! I- I was going do that now..." Gokudera retorted looking infuriated and embarrassed yet again.

He was probably about to do as Yamamoto had suggested when Uri's eyes suddenly opened, wide and alert.

Then it leapt out of his arms and out of his reach. The two other occupants of the room began to laugh when he swore and began to chase it around the room. ("**_URI!!_** **_DAMN IT_**_, YOU LITTLE **PEST**! **Come HERE!!**_")

Uri ran around the room, squeezing into tight spots under pieces of furniture where Gokudera couldn't reach it… then ran out back into the open space when Gokudera had pushed the furniture aside in his attempt to catch it.

Finally Yamamoto took pity and decided to help him try to catch the impish little creature.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was in stitches at the sight of his Guardians of Storm and Rain, two grown men, chasing after the little kitten- sized box weapon all over his office.

Uri darted between Tsuna's legs and scampered up to the top of his desk. Then it leapt up from it, scattering paper and bounded off Gokudera's head when the he made a grab for it… It then landed onto Yamamoto's... (Yamamoto made to catch it with both hands, hoping to get it off guard.)

He laughed even harder when Uri escaped from Yamamoto.

It hid in one of heavy drapes hanging from the tall windows... a very angry Gokudera and a very amused Yamamoto still in hot pursuit.

Even though his coffee maker machine crashed to the floor hard (and was thus damaged yet again) after Gokudera bumped the cabinet that held it by accident (he didn't stop to apologize just yet; not when Uri was still causing havoc), he laughed like he didn't have a care in the world.

Tsuna was laughing for now.

Little did they know that that would be the last time they would hear him do so.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 DISCONNECTED**

**RECONNECTION FAILED; CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003? (Y/N)?**

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**RECONNECTION ESTABLISHED**

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**Time:** 02:13:40 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note:** Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola famiglia member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance.

**Mission objective incomplete**

**Mission objective modified to present priorities**

**Mission File Status:** _Downloading 87. 86342375 percent complete..._

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING**

_'Please forgive me.'_

I couldn't stop hearing those words playing in my head, over and over. But really, what was there to forgive? And to whom in particular, I do not know. All I knew was that whatever was up ahead, I did not want to see it. God or whatever knows I didn't want to see it…

My hands were shaking. I couldn't stop them. I still didn't dare to look at my watch and but I estimated the time as a little past three o'clock.

I could hear a ringing noise in my ears… could remember hearing the gunshots that I had heard over the phone… the transmissions of _Mafiosi _and allies either being executed or committing suicide… My stomach twisted when I recalled the news regarding the latest additions to the death toll in the war…

_'Calm down,'_ I told myself as walked. _'Calm down…'_ As I tried to keep my breaths steady, I caught a whiff of something fragrant and at the same time repulsive. I immediately found myself thinking: _'Something smells...' _

There was the smell of the forest but I had been walking for hours so I was used to it by now. But now there were other smells too.

I felt sick.

_'Something's not right.'_ I thought. The smells were enough to tell me that.

_'Don't rush in just yet. Stay calm.'_ I tried to tell myself. _'It's just some smells. Just move...'_

I could smell the blood and the flowers even more now.

I went towards the smells, so fucking shit scared of what I would find there. Sounds of something burning, or having been burnt perhaps came from the same direction as the smells. As I walked forward, the smells grew stronger and my head was soon reeling, overwhelmed by what I could smell and hear.

My heart was pounding so fast I felt like my ribs would break.

The smell of blood grew stronger in the short distance and I forced myself not to shudder. _'Don't get sick now, you idiot!'_ I tried to tell myself.

'**_Who's there?_**' I wanted to call out, but being in a forest would make my voice carry further than I would have wanted it.

I couldn't hear other sounds that could be a threat so I decided to go closer... The small pebbles mixed in the soil under the grass crunched with my footsteps but right now, that didn't matter to me. The smell of blood and flowers was growing stronger.

I reached a small spot in the forest, the source of the fragrant and repulsive smells mixing in the forest air.

Then I stopped and stared.

The sight in front of me was _incredible_. By 'incredible', I meant in the terrible sense. This is **_definitely_** some sort of a sick joke. _'Why...?'_

I immediately recognized the bodies with more identifiable features

Vongola.

And Cavallone.

**_Dead. _**

_'What the Hell happened? Why are all of them here?'_ I tried to make sense of the scene. I knew that probably half of them were Vongola's men. I recognized the suits on some of them; that meant they had belonged to the Tenth Boss' security unit based in Japan... But I don't see nor recognize faces…

As for the men I had pegged as Cavallones... They were the only allied family that I knew of that still had the courage to be near the Vongola despite the Hunt… Had there been a fight between the two groups? _'No, that's impossible.'_ I reasoned with myself. _'Why would they? And why_ _in the middle of the forest?'_

No, definitely no way... They _wouldn't_ kill or harm each other because of the alliance and the brotherly ties the Tenth Cavallone Boss had with the Tenth Vongola Boss. The two families even worked together on some occasions... I knew that all those belonging to Vongola had orders to go into hiding… Even friends and allies had done the same to escape the Vongola Hunt. _'But **why** the Hell were these guys **still** out here?' _

I debated whether I should go and confirm the identities of the bodies... As far as I could see, some of the bodies had parts that were already badly burned… And from where I was standing, I could smell the burnt flesh, hair and gunpowder. That's what was causing the repulsive smell.

There were also smashed pieces of box weapons and trees littering the ground with the bodies. Some of the debris from the fight was still burning.

Judging from the damage, it must have been an incredible struggle against massive firepower.

I swallowed and tried not to breathe in the smell.

I felt sick... sicker than after having eaten Poison cooking by mistake or from waking up from a nightmare.

_'Should I go and see if there are survivors?'_ I debated with myself. Would I dare try to find out who I knew was dead? Just then my ears picked up the sound of shallow and labored breathing. I wanted to make sure but I hesitated to go forward and see for myself up close.

I looked at each body as carefully as I could from my hiding place.

There must have been at least six men in total... Or at least those pieces _looked _like they were six men… or women… I couldn't tell for sure... Not with those dismembered limbs lying scattered all over the place...

There were large hulking pieces of machinery scattered with them... Those must have once been one whole Strau Mosca unit.

Another unit that looked slightly more intact lay smoking five feet away from me.

Then I looked more carefully and stared once more, stunned at what I saw scattered with the wreckage and bodies.

**_Flowers. _**

_So many flowers._

Daffodils. [7]

_'So that was the source of that other smell.'_

Now I was sure. It had to be **_their_** doing.

… But… This is terrible... Just what the Hell is going on? What the Hell is happening…?

I feared the digested form of my tuna sandwich would make an appearance. I could taste the throw- up in my throat already… but didn't feel it was right to throw up here… _Right now… _I ended up swallowing; but not without difficulty.

A painful feeling like a fist clenching around my gut manifested itself while I observed the more intact bodies for signs of survivors.

_'There!'_ I spotted one body's chest moving. I could tell that he was scarcely breathing, but he was alive nonetheless!

He was leaning on the large remains of one of the Strau Mosca, lying on the outer edge of the massacre scene. I crept toward him, keeping cover in the shadows of the trees until I finally reached him.

_'I don't recognize him as one of Vongola's men...' _

I pegged his age to be somewhere in the range of late thirties or early forties.

I moved a little to his right and saw that he had a large tear in his side. I could see part of his ribs were exposed, broken and the muscle tissue torn. It had only a poorly done makeshift dressing to cover it but even then, it looked like it could be infected.

I've seen him on some occasions with the Cavallone Boss and for some reason remembered him... It must be because he was a little more distinctive looking than the other Cavallone men.

Despite his age, he still had his hair in a brown Mohawk...

"Hey, you there- Can you talk?" I asked him in a low voice. I hoped it was loud enough for him to hear.

He moved his head slightly to the side so he could look at me. "Bu... Bo... **_Vongola_**...? _A_-_a_-_shi- shit_... You- You're alive..."

"Yes, I'm from the Vongola. _What happened here?_ And what were all of you doing here?" I asked him hurriedly. I wanted to make sure that he's a not a traitor before I take him back with me to the hideout and have him treated.

"Shit... You're alive... That's good." The Cavallone man tried to smile. "The Boss... would be relieved to hear... that you managed... to carry out your plan..."

"Why does your Boss know about my plan?" I asked, confused and worried. I had made sure not to tell anyone. Anyone but Giannini. Then I mentally slapped myself for forgetting. _'Wait a minute... Romario!'_

"Was that why _Romario_ was there to pick me up?" I demanded.

"...You... Your original driver... was compromised... He managed... to send... a message to... our Boss... before he was killed— He sent us to... as an escort... bodyguard for you and..." He flinched in pain as he tried to sit up.

I swore to myself when I made sense of what he just told me. I knew that 'driver' he was referring to... **_Damn it_**, so they had caught him too...? _'Why did he have to do that? That fool Cavallone!'_

"Lie back down." I ordered him. "So what happened here?" I then questioned him hurriedly. If I plan on taking him back with me, I needed to make it quick. It didn't look like he should move too much, with the kind of injuries he had…

"Strau Mosca... Four of them... Seven of us tried... taking them down... I and two others... managed to- get away-" The Cavallone _Mafioso's_ breathing was slightly more stable now. He tried to sit up by himself. "We came... back here... to find out what happened- to the... others but they... came back- to scatter the- fucking flowers- and... killed the other two- like pigs..." He was straining himself to tell me as much as he could.

The story was absurd but I understood it. '_What's the meaning of the flowers?'_ I wanted to ask but decided that it would be a waste of time right now. "So you're the only survivor..." I half- whispered to myself.

Then I made up my mind. "Alright, I'm taking you back with me to the Vongola hideout. We'll get your injuries treated and you can recuperate there before returning to your Family."

I tried to say all this without letting my voice betray any quavering.

"No- No... Leave me..." He slowly shook his head once. "There's not enough time-"

_'There's not enough time...'_ I shrank back as he unknowingly repeated the words of the last Vongola Boss. I cursed myself yet again. _'Why is there never enough time?'_

"Don't talk nonsense! There's still time- Here, I'm going to help you up. It will hurt a lot but please bear with it!" I stretched my arm to pull him up by his less injured own... But he batted my hand away before I could touch him.

"No, we- won't... make it... There are two Strau Mosca- units still wandering... the area of- this forest right now... They are bound to- come back and... They will find you if... you don't hurry and leave..." He protested.

Of course, I can't stay here.

The fact that they had left flowers with the corpses meant that they intended to use this massacre scene as a message and a trap to lure other Vongola members and allies into going out into the open. Trying to incite them to retrieve their dead...

Then I hit myself mentally. _'A trap!'_

And I had fallen for it!

...But... "You're fucking injured!" I snapped and looked around for some way to carry him without aggravating his injuries. "I'm taking you back with me so just cooperate."

The smell of burnt flesh made me want to throw up again. We had to get out of here fast.

"Wait-" The injured man held up his hand to stop me. I know I shouldn't have but I stopped anyway. "Take these... with you..." He said hoarsely, pressing into my hand a bunch of rings. I looked at them in disbelief. They were of different grade purities and flame attributes. All wrapped in Mammon chains.

"What are these?" I looked at him, confused even though I knew exactly what they were.

"Rings...of...my comrades...and from the...Vongola men too..." He explained to me. "The... Millefiore- should not- benefit- from them... Please- take them... and these as well..." He gave me a few intact boxes. I didn't know to which flame types they belonged to but figured that they were compatible with the rings he was pressing me to take. I accepted them hesitantly, slipping them in with the other box weapons inside my clothes since there was no other place to keep them.

He must have gathered them after the fight. Or his comrades had given them to him. I would never know.

_'Why is he giving these to me though?' _I wondered. Just then, I heard an unmistakable whirring mechanical noise coming from a few meters. The Cavallone _Mafioso _looked up when he heard it as well.

There must be three of them, judging from the sound of things.

"They're here... They will- find you... if you stay... You must run- **_now._**" He grunted as he strained himself to stand.

"You-" I was about to protest but he had on a look of fierce determination.

I knew that look... I wore it myself on countless occasions. It was the kind that cannot be argued with once it was set in place.

"I cannot... go with you..." He pulled out a worn out box weapon from inside his clothes. It had an embellishment of a prancing horse on it. "My orders... are- to make sure you... leave this place...alive...

"I- shouldn't have... gotten away alive... the first time..." He added with a sad smile and looked at the corpses and remains of what used to be his comrades. "...regretted it... when I saw- them like this..." He looked at me with a weak smile. "But now- I don't regret it... because- I finally have- a chance to fulfill... my orders..."

"_What the Hell?!_ **_Now_** is not the time to think about orders!" I hissed at him, trying to keep my voice down. _'I'm a fucking hypocrite.'_ I thought immediately when I said this. "You can't stand to beat those things! You're getting away from here with me right now!" I said angrily. I may as well have made it an order because it sure as Hell sounded like one. I know that what I am said was impulsive, but this man- just what the Hell is he getting at?! _'Why must you throw your life away for me?'_ I thought angrily but I wondered whether I was asking him or myself.

As if he could read my mind, he suddenly said: "I am sorry-" He handed me a belt full of automatic handguns. All of which were loaded. "I am a Cavallone... I follow orders- only from the Cavallone Boss... As long- as I am... loyal to... the Cavallone Family, the order... to make sure that- you stay alive- still stands..." The Cavallone _Mafioso _said firmly as he removed the chains from his rings.

"You must- not be seen... I will stay- and keep them- busy... for you to- make it back- to the- Vongola hideout..." He panted with exertion as he molded his Dying Will Flame to charge his box weapon.

The wound on his side was fully open now. His blood soaked the entire side of his shirt, spreading even further on the material and dripping onto the ground.

The noise of the Strau Moscas approaching grew louder.

"Go." The Cavallone _Mafioso _pushed me roughly into the trees.

I stumbled backwards and tripped over a tree root, staring back at him in disbelief.

"_Hey_ _you_-" I tried to argue.

"When you see my Boss... Tell him... we were glad- and honored- to serve under him... and to never regret- being allied with the Vongola!"

I wanted to yell at him: _'What the Hell are you doing, trying to act cool?!' _

Instead I found myself asking him: "What is your name?"

The Cavallone smiled once again before answering. "Ivan." [8] He then turned to face the sounds of the approaching Strau Mosca in the opposite direction. "Let's have- another Vongola- Cavallone... snowball fight- again someday!"

It was **_so_**… **_cheesy_**… But there was no more time for any more questions or to argue further with him.

I understood **_that_** much.

So I gave him a short nod instead. I don't know if it was to thank him or to agree to the proposition of a snowball fight.

But I couldn't stop thinking that it was a promised game that could never happen in the future.

Right now… Things being the way they are… it's impossible.

I didn't tell him that, though.

There was no time...

I picked myself up and ran as fast as I could... I ran toward the designated rendezvous point, praying that I would make it in time to meet up with my allies.

I just ran.

But occasionally, I would look back.

The first time I did, I saw the Cavallone _Mafioso _battling all the remaining Strau Mosca units… All three.

I couldn't tell who was winning... But the odds were obviously not good.

Yet I continued to run; hear my own breath and exhale, each pound of my footsteps on the grass- covered forest ground.

Again, I could hear the gunshots that I repeatedly had nightmares of in my head; I could hear the last words of the all the dying men I've ever encountered since this Hell erupted.

I felt so sick. But I ran. And ran…

This continued until the trees completely blocked my view. The smell of the flowers and burnt flesh was replaced once more by the forest smell as I ran further away from the fighting.

Then the trees became a blur, the sunlight flashed through the spaces between the leaves.

It hurt my eyes but I kept running; behind me, explosions from the fighting rang throughout the forest. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and gritted my teeth.

I didn't want to hear anymore.

A few more minutes passed.

Then finally everything was silent.

I looked back one last time... wondering what the Hell the point of leaving alive was... and I thought: _'... You idiot... I can't have a snowball fight alone...'_

* * *

**Time:** 03:11:45 PM

**Location: **Forest outside Namimori City.

**Note: Vongola Guardian Bodyguard Escort **consisting of five Vongola _Mafioso _and five Cavallone _Mafioso. _Six killed in initial confrontation with four Strau Mosca Units. Two in the second. The remaining surviving Cavallone member engaged the three remaining units in a third encounter. One temporarily disabled and two units escaped.

**Location: **Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note:** Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola famiglia member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport Vongola Guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance

**Mission objective incomplete**

**Mission File Status: **_Cannot commence deletion of mission file. _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING **

**TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001 DISCONNECTED**

**RECONNECTION FAILED; CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001? (Y/N)?**

* * *

**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **_Alrighty! _You probably don't read this part of the chapter but I'm sticking it here anyway (It increases my word count! LOL!)

The entire chapter, with the exception of the '**ARCHIVE FILE**' section, could have very well have been omitted from the story, since it wasn't a necessary part of original draft. But it's not a completely useless chapter since I thought I could use it as a sort of plot device of sorts for future chapters. It's also to give more depth to the hero/antihero's character. (Though I wonder if it gives more clues to his identity... _Hmm... _I still think the first chapter was more riddled with info. What do you think? (Clue: Hair! He **_has _**hair! -spazz- XD))

**[1] _Buongiorno_:**(Italian) - hello/good morning/good afternoon

**[2] _Signor_:** [Italian] - Mister. You use '_signore' _when addressing a man. But if used with a name, it is written as _'signor'. _Hence: _Signor _Yamamoto, _Signor _Hayato, _Signor_ Dino and blahblahblah

**[3] Number One Mafioso Who Lacks Ambition A.K.A. One Who Cannot Refuse a Pathetic Animal: **LOL. Does anybody still remember that ranking? (When Tsuna first met Fuuta) Yeah... Tsuna can be bought over by a display of pathetic helplessness or plain adorable cuteness. Uri is actually a very smart kitty... using its Master's Boss to get out of being scolded to badly or get out of any scolding at all. Oh wow... the little kitty knows how to use '**The Force**' (of cuteness).

**[4] Over- Affectionate & Cuddly Uri: **Before anybody points out to me that Uri (the Storm box animal) hates or does not recognize Gokudera as its master (yet?) in the canon, I will remind you that it's the 15- year old Gokudera it's acting that way to. I think the reason why Uri acts that way to the teenaged Gokudera because it **_doesn't_** recognize him as the person who usually commands it. It probably only obeys a person who has a strong Dying Will Flame... _and treats it in a certain ("special") way_... It would make more sense if TYL Gokudera's flame was stronger than his younger version's since, well, he's _older_, **_more_** experienced and should be physically stronger too. This would probably make Uri think that it's a different person who's handling it, so it doesn't attach the label 'Master' to a younger Gokudera and gives him Hell.

**[5] Scar? Long Hair?: **How should I make Yamamoto get that scar...? Should I make it Uri's fault?

(-TriestoimagineUribeingterritorialoverTYLGoku- _Huh_… That's... kinda cute... in the disturbingly cute- homicidal kitty way...)

Now about the part about Gokudera having longish hair? Bear with me for a while and I'll make him look like his canon adult self soon. I just need to twist things in the third chapter and make them go get drunk or something... getting a haircut while drunk... That should be funny... _Should_ be…

**[6] _The_ _Box_: **About the box Tsuna got from Gokudera earlier, it **_exists_**! It's in the manga and anime! _I'm not making it up!_ But I don't know what it is, what it's for, or if it's really important. I just used it as an excuse to bring Uri into the picture. -_Meisastupidiot_-

**[7] Daffodils:** In the flower language, when used in the sense of friendship means: 'I send my regards.' ****

**[8] Ivan: **And who's Ivan? Before anyone says OC, I'll explain who he is: Remember the Vongola VS Cavallone VS Bianchi & Co. snowball fight? He's the first of the Cavallone side to get taken down. He's the guy with the brown Mohawk who got hit with Bianchi's Poison Cooking... So now I've gone and killed him for good... Er, yeah... OK...

**[9] Vongola Satellite Mansion Corridor Guards "Mariano" & "Felicio": **As for Mariano and Felicio? They're original characters filling in for the usual nameless Vongola underling numbers 1 & 2... They're not important as they have very little physical descriptions and have almost no background stories as of writing; so you can ignore them... (Or would we be seeing more of them? Hmm...)

Anyway, I just clarified those here since they might come up again in the future (or past... _whichever_...)

This chapter, I kinda hated working on... but I had fun writing about Goku and his Kitty-kins. XD

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**PREVIEW:**

**Rewrite 003: A Double- Edged Blade**

**Time:** 10:56:34 PM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Planning the next course of action.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 95. 8453654 percent complete..._

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

"Boss," Dino snapped alert when he heard Romario's voice.

"Romario," He acknowledged the older man's presence, noting that he was carrying a tray of rice and sushi. "Is that Gokudera's?"

_'That's not finger- food...' _He thought.

"His is still being cooked." Romario explained. "Please try to get some sleep yourself, Boss. You've done enough for tonight. "

"I will, after I've checked on Yamamoto. Why don't you let me bring that to him and you keep an eye on Gokudera for me?" Dino absently replied. Romario hesitated for a moment. If he handed over the tray of food to his Boss, there would be no doubt that Yamamoto's supper would end up on the floor and on Dino instead of inside Yamamoto's room and his stomach.

What to do...?

**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024 FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION? (Y/N?)**

* * *

For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

...My laptop hates me... There's something wrong with my letters a, z, w, f, j, y, l, k, m, g and my Alt keys...


	3. Rewrite 003: A Double Edged Blade

I read and reply to every review I get (which is easy since there have only been sixteen as of writing) and I'm really grateful for the positive reception my story's been getting. No flames so far, wow... Almost everybody's encouraging me to update soon so here we are: Rewrite 03! It was supposed to have a continuation of the **ARCHIVE FILE** (or a flashback in case you forgot) about the adult Tsuna in the last chapter but I decided to scrap it from Rewrite 03 since it was already mentioned in the manga how he died. (Got shot... Poor guy; he learned to **_take _**bullets, not avoid them.)

I'm so happy you guys like my story that I almost feel bad about posting **_THIS_** version of Rewrite 03. This, like the **MISSION FILE** (real time narration) part of Rewrite 02, is another part that **_wasn't_** in the original draft. But it **_looked_** like a **_perfect_** way to kick in some real drama (since I set the genre categories of my story as "Drama/Adventure"). By the way, this entire chapter's an **ARCHIVE FILE**. The continuation of events from the previous chapter will pick up again in the next one.

Yamamoto didn't have a mention of that scar on his chin when I wrote Rewrite 02. I had completely forgotten about it... and I mentioned in the last chapter that I'd turn Gokudera's long hair look into his TYL canon one by having them go get drunk or something... (It seems that the 'getting stone-drunk' idea, though not original anymore, is popular in ... No offense to people who write those fics...)

This has **_got_** to be my fastest update **_ever_**. I thought of this part while I was doing the laundry at night... with a **_freaking _**rainstorm going on. I hadn't had the chance to put to words the events for Rewrite 03 until now. This one was a lot more difficult to word out than the first chapter, Rewrite 01. -sniff- The emotions... -sniff- _Poor_ _Gokudera..._ _and... Yamamoto!!!_ WAAAHHH!!!! **_Yamamotoooo_**!!!! TT-TT (What **_IS _**this... '_Dog of Flanders_' scenario?!)

It's rainy season my place, meaning my summer vacation will end before I know it.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own KHR! I don't even own the PSP I was playing with last night... it's my dad's.

**Warning:** (to Yamamoto and Gokudera) Vongola Jyuudaime will make you **_cry_**, minions.

* * *

**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 003: The Double- Edged Blade**

Written: Sunday, May 11, 2008, 04:47:25 PM

Edited: Sunday, July 13, 2008, 11:41:37 AM

Updated: September 10, 2008, 09:29:03 PM

Re- updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

* * *

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

**Time:** 10:56:34 PM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt ongoing

**Archive File Summary:** Planning the next course of action.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 95.8453654 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

The storm covered what would have been night lit by a bright full moon. The waves from the sea crashed noisily against the rocks. Lightning cracked across the sky. The windows were shut tight against torrents of rain slapping against them, carried by a howling wind from the sea. As were the glass balcony doors... From where he could see, the balcony was being over- flooded... The excess water, unable to pass through the drain, ended up spilling through the rails, falling toward the sea down below.

But the raging storm over the sea however was nothing compared to calamity that had befallen the some of the occupants of the Cavallone safe house in Sicily.

Hours before, a number of Vongola bases all over the globe had been simultaneously attacked without warning. While there had been minor confrontations between the Vongola and the Millefiore before, there were none just as devastating as this.

The recent assault by the Millefiore had been the most damaging yet and those who survived and those who were injured were forced to go into hiding and try to salvage their losses. Families allied with the Vongola are being forced reconsider their loyalties:

Remaining a friend and or ally of the Vongola is at your own risk.

But here he was, a mafia boss, personally risking his own neck.

He had just taken in five Vongola _Mafiosi_, all survivors from the nearest satellite Vongola base... And he was still looking for more survivors. He prayed that he would still find some more... although it seemed highly unlikely that his men would be able to recover any more people from that mansion at this time... Without putting his own at risk.

The Tenth Generation Boss of the Cavallone Family leaned wearily against the doorframe. Then he looked up at the upper part of the frame. It was the only thing separating one bedroom from the lounge of the bungalow- styled safe house his Family owned, overlooking the sea. The bedroom door had been taken off its hinges and removed, leaving the room with open access for everyone to get in and out.

No more wasting time force- opening the door. _Just_ in case.

Tearing his eyes away from the white door frame, Dino Cavallone looked to his side and watched with mild fascination the brief transformation process taking place inside the room. Then he absently wondered just how many skills his Right- hand possessed... Possibly more than Dino himself did.

The quiet noise of Romario's scissors was overlapped by the loud claps of thunder and the heavy pelting of rain on roof. Dino frowned at the back of the one Romario was working on... Trying to imagine what could possibly be going on in his mind.

When he finally finished, Romario gathered up what was needed to be discarded in a brown paper bag before stepping out of the room to report to his Boss.

"How is he doing, Romario?" Dino asked him quietly.

"The majority of his injuries will heal. They will hardly scar but his-" Romario began but Dino shook his head, interrupting his report.

"I wasn't asking about his physical injuries." Dino clarified and fought back the urge to yawn. He hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep since he began the preparations. He wanted the safe house to accommodate a small number of Vongola refugees and perhaps more if he found them.

Once he'd gotten over the shock from the news the handful of _Mafiosi_ brought with them, he immediately dropped everything and rushed to personally oversee the preparations. He had the Vongola survivors airlifted and taken to this safe house.

As soon as they arrived in Sicily, he had them rushed to the safe house where he immediately ordered to have their medical needs attended to.

He then spent the entire time barking orders and personally triple- checking every lock and security measure that had been set up in the bungalow (with Ivan and Bono dogging his footsteps. He had ordered Romario to see to the medical- related necessities).

"It's too early to say, Boss. I think he has never been faced with something like this before. How to say-? We need to give him more time." Romario answered grimly in hushed tones.

'_Time... which we don't have enough of... Why is there just **never** enough time?' _Dino sighed. "To think that I was once requested by the Vongola Ninth to have him killed if his loyalty to Tsuna was superficial... It's quite ironic that strong genuine loyalty is what would probably kill him **_now_**." He leaned back onto the doorframe and peered into the room Romario had just left once more. [2]

It was a plain room with walls painted in cream white and a balcony overlooking the sea.

He and Romario had made sure that the locks on the windows and balcony were tightly secure. They could only be opened by a special key that required it to be pushed and pulled in a certain sequence before it could be turned several times like a screw to open.

Picking it open was simply impossible.

Getting to the key was also difficult since Romario had kept it in one storage box and sealed inside another; both of which could only be opened by a Mist flame (provided by a randomly selected subordinate) and a Sky flame (Dino's) respectively. [1]

Yamamoto Takeshi had requested that these two specific flame types should be used for sealing anything away for the time being.

He had also requested before arriving that the room should not have any windows or a balcony. He reasoned that glass could be broken and be used for "other things" and a balcony overlooking the sea was one of the most dangerous possible environments to be in...

Not to mention it was a security hazard...

Dino had to remind him that they were in a _safe house_; the glass was several times thick and bulletproof and that balcony doors could be securely locked.

'An unarmed man would have difficulty breaking those doors and windows, so calm down Yamamoto...' He had said. Besides, there were no windowless rooms here and it was still necessary to let fresh air flow through. However he immediately saw and understood Yamamoto's worries and acted on them.

He had Romario order the most secure locks they could get on short notice and had them immediately installed.

It had calmed Yamamoto down a bit but it was still apparent that he did not want to take any chances: the curtains had been taken down and their rods detached from the windows. There were no decorations of any kind, not even a vase of flowers... Yamamoto was worried that a vase could be broken by accident or on purpose.

Dino then had the room practically gutted of its interior décor as well.

Now the room had no furniture save for one single- person sized blue mattress in the center of the room. The pillows, sheets and the bed frame itself were removed. Where there was once a fancy, mini glass chandelier hung a flat square fluorescent light, illuminating the room.

True, Dino had assured Yamamoto that an unarmed man would not be able to break the thick, bulletproof glass. But that immediately brought up the problem of disarming the one the room had been designated for: Gokudera Hayato is notoriously well known for carrying impossibly large amounts of dynamite and other explosive and ignitable materials on his person.

Disarming him was no simple matter.

It was like disenaging a real explosive device where there were impossibly too many wires... and considering the state he was in, Dino thought that he would go off no matter what they did.

So Dino then had decided to have him sedated; it was to ensure that he would not fight back while he was being treated and further injure himself.

Not to mention it was for others' safety (and Yamamoto's peace of mind).

However, they found it most disturbing that Gokudera had not put up any sort of resistance to being sedated.

But Romario injected him anyway to be on the safe side... Then he and Yamomoto got to work stripping him of his dynamite and his box weapons as thoroughly as they could. His rings had been confiscated too. Romario had cautioned that, since a flame of the Storm wave energy had the power to deteriorate substances, having a channeling instrument like a ring would _still_ make it possible for Gokudera to be a danger to everyone including himself...

... _Especially_ himself...

Dino sighed again and shook his head when he remembered how difficult it had been to convince Yamamoto this was the safest as they could possibly make the room for his friend and fellow Guardian.

He had even seriously considered having the Vongola Guardian of Rain sedated so he could have his own injuries looked at as well. Instead he offered to stand guard and keep on eye on Gokudera while Yamamoto went to get medical treatment.

Presently, the sole occupant of "The Safe Room" [3] (as Romario had dubbed it) was seated on the mattress in a plain set of mint green pajamas, staring blankly and listlessly at the wall while the storm raged outside. His light gray hair hung limply in his face, a great deal shorter than it had been hours ago. (It was even shorter than from when he was still in middle school but it still framed his pale face.) From what Dino recalled, he had had gunshot wounds, suffered minor burns from the fire and bruises (nothing his medical team's Sun flames couldn't fix) but everyone who saw him couldn't help but feel that he was a lot more damaged than what he appeared on the outside.

"It's best that he shouldn't be left alone." Romario told his Boss gravely.

"Ah." Dino frowned. "But it's strange, almost eerie, seeing him like this... He's almost unrecognizable from his usual explosive self."

"It's not easy to see one of the most important people to you dying right in front of you and not being able to do anything about it." Yamamoto walked up to them, sporting a plaster on his chin and somber look in his eyes. Dino gave the plaster a concerned look.

Romario gave the Vongola Rain Guardian a short bow in greeting before going to throw the paper bag in an indoor incinerator located in the false bottom of the lounge fireplace. It was normally used for destroying dangerous items and documents but right now he could not leave his Boss unattended and even more so the Vongola Guardian of Storm. The lounge outside "The Safe Room" smelled briefly of burnt hair until Romario replaced the bottom of the fireplace.

"Yamamoto... How are your injuries?" Dino asked. "That one looked painful." He commented, referring to the cut on Yamamoto's chin when they arrived in Sicily.

He moved a little away from the door of "The Safe Room" so he and Yamamoto could talk but close enough so he could still monitor Gokudera's movements (or lack of them). Romario automatically took his Boss' post by the door so he could keep a better watch on the inside and the occupant of the room.

"I'm alright, but it's bound to scar though..." Yamamoto replied and peered into the room, frowning worriedly. "How **_is_** Gokudera?"

"He hasn't said anything. He didn't even flinch when Romario cut off the burnt hair. We tried to get him to talk but he still wouldn't respond." Dino glanced inside the room again. Gokudera had still not moved from his seat on the mattress. He wondered whether he should go in and slap the younger man painfully hard to get him to breathe... but debunked the idea when he saw his shoulders moving very slightly. It indicated that he breathing... but only shallowly. '_At least he's not holding his breath.'_ Dino thought relieved. _'But I wonder how on Earth are we're going to keep him from doing so if the idea hits him? What are we going to do if he decides to bite his tongue?'_

"You were the only ones near Tsuna when he..." Dino hesitated to continue, giving the unresponsive Storm Guardian inside the room a precautious look. He then continued in lower voice. "...Did he say anything? About the Millefiore? About Vongola?"

"He asked us... if he had been a good boss... If we could forgive him..." Yamamoto answered quietly. "He wouldn't stop apologizing..."

'_I'm sure there wasn't anything to forgive, but sounds just like him to say such things.' _Dino thought sadly of the now deceased Vongola boss and junior. Yamamoto wasn't finished though.

"He asked to talk to Gokudera at one point so I didn't hear all that he said. I saw him give Gokudera a box and said something like an order." Yamamoto continued in a low voice. "It must have been important but Gokudera kept shaking his head. Seemed like he was against it, whatever it was. Tsuna then said something else but I didn't hear all of that too. Gokudera was already starting to panic then so I don't know if he was still paying attention then."

"It _must_ be important then." Dino frowned and asked his Right hand almost impatiently. "Where is that box?"

"It should be with his other things. Right over there, Boss." Romario nodded toward the large pile of box weapons and dynamite lying on one of the couches in the lounge. Dino stared blankly at the pile.

"What did the box look like, Yamamoto?" Dino walked over to the pile, putting his hands on his hips and wondered how he was going to go about locating just one box. _'Yamamoto wasn't kidding earlier,'_ He thought, remembering the remark Yamamoto had made when he and Romario were disarming the Smoking Bomb. _'All of the boxes look alike...'_

"It was white-" Yamamoto supplied. "And it's the only one..." Dino had gotten to work sifting through the dynamite and boxes before he could give more details. He spotted something white and cube- shaped sticking out of the pockets of Gokudera's slacks, lying beside the sticks of dynamite.

"Is this the one?" Dino held up the box in question for them to see.

"That's it." Yamamoto affirmed. "I don't know what's in it or what it's for. Even though Tsuna practically ordered him to take it, but he kept refusing."

"...Now why didn't he want to?" Dino wondered aloud, giving the box in his hand a puzzled look. "Just what the heck is this, Little Bro...? Tsuna?" He murmured, turning the box over in his hands to look at it. He tried opening it but couldn't figure out how to unlock it. He instead gave it an experimental shake. Something clunked inside when he shook it. "Gokudera's the only one who heard Tsuna's very last words, right?" He asked raising his eyes from the box to look at Yamamoto.

"Not quite. I only heard a short part of them but I'm hoping Gokudera actually listened and remembered all of them." Yamamoto sighed. "But I doubt that he did though..."

"We'll have to have him recall them as soon as possible. But given Gokudera's current state, I think it might be a while." Dino frowned when he looked into the room again.

No sign of change.

He was still just sitting there, staring at the wall.

"Do you think we could hypnotize him?" Yamamoto asked.

"Not by ourselves, no... I don't think that's a good idea, Yamamoto. The human mind is a very tricky thing to deal with; it has to be done properly and carefully by a professional. We could end up damaging Gokudera more than helping him if we attempted it ourselves." Dino answered grimly. "Besides... I don't think Gokudera's susceptible to be hypnotized... He doesn't take to suggestions easily in his normal state."

Yamamoto hummed once in thought.

"Just what could my Little Brother have told him to make him refuse to follow, even after making it a direct order?" Dino then mused aloud to himself.

Yamamoto spoke again: "What can you guess Dino- _san_? **_You're_** a mafia boss; what would _you_ say if you were in Tsuna's place? It might be a start and it would really help."

Dino turned the white box over and over in his left hand and scratched his unruly blond hair with his right as he puzzled to come up with an answer.

"Hmm... I'd... I'd have to say... I'd do what my predecessor did. I'm speculating here but it's possible that Tsuna could have put Gokudera in charge." He said finally after a moment of thought.

"What do you mean, Dino- _san_?" Yamamoto asked, confused.

"Tsuna never married, right? He's the last of the Vongola with a legitimate claim to lead the Family and he hasn't, to my knowledge, produced any heirs. In this case, the chain of command should have returned to the Ninth or the _consigliore_. But we don't know if the Ninth is still alive since he hasn't been found yet. The _consigliore _is also missing; so right now, there is no one heading the Vongola mafia. It's very rare for Families like mine and the Vongola... But it **_IS_** possible and acceptable for a boss to name a capable subordinate his heir in an absolute emergency... and or in the absence of a blood- related one." Dino replaced the box back in its original place. "Besides, there **_are_** mafia whose initial composition and line of succession doesn't necessarily need to be by blood relation."

"Are you saying that Gokudera could now be Vongola the Eleventh?" Yamamoto asked stunned and looking even more confused. "As far as I can see, he's not acting very capable right now." [4]

"If he followed a normal mafia boss stereotype, Tsuna would have made a decision to preserve his Family's existence by naming a successor. Like I said, I'm just **_speculating_**. I may be wrong but Gokudera is the only one who truly last heard Tsuna so he's the only one who knows." Dino looked inside "The Safe Room" again from his place in the middle of the pile of boxes and dynamite. "**_OR _**Tsuna may have known something to defeat the Millefiore and may have passed the information on to Gokudera." He noticed that the man in question had still not moved. "I'm betting it's the former; Tsuna never did like the idea of the mafia and I **_know_** for a fact that Tsuna was not the normal mafia boss stereotype. Until Gokudera's ready to talk, we can't do much for our next plan of action."

"I see." Yamamoto said grimly. "In any case, I have to move now. They attacked the satellite bases all around the world so I'm worried about how things are back in Japan..."

Dino shook his head. "It's too dangerous to travel now... _Look_, the weather is really bad. Are you sure you want to do that, Yamamoto?" He asked, trying to figure out what the Vongola Guardian of Rain had in mind. "What do you plan to do anyway?"

"The part that I overheard between them is a start: Tsuna mentioned that we needed to gather the Guardians. I need to go and confirm that they're all still alive." Yamamoto replied. "I'm sorry but you yourself need to be careful and go into hiding too."

"I know." Dino nodded and continued to speak in a low voice. "My information network tells me that they're calling this the "**_Vongola_**_ **Hunt**_". However it's more than just that. They're been targeting everyone who's ever had contact with anyone from Vongola." Dino's expression suddenly changed into an angry and disgusted one. "Even **_civilians_**."

"**_What?!_**" Yamamoto hissed, outraged and worried.

"It's a clear disregard for the mafia code of Omérta. I'm afraid they are not indiscriminate targets." Dino continued noting that Yamamoto looked even more worried.

"I'll leave in thirty minutes." Yamamoto was about to turn on his heel to leave and pack for the trip when Dino caught him by the shoulder.

"**_No._** Get some sleep first." Dino told him firmly. "You'll need a Hell lot of it. Refuse and I'll have sedated you with ten shots of what we gave Gokudera awhile ago."

"But-"

"_Thirty_ shots."

"-the time-"

"**_Sixty_**_._"

"I have to-"

"**_One hundred and twenty shots_**- don't make me add more and make good my word, Yamamoto. As for transport, I'm going underground like my Family wants me to; I leave at three in the morning. You can hitch with me and I'll lend you my fastest jet to get you to Japan." Dino said seriously, still keeping a firm hold on Yamamoto's shoulder. "For the meantime, _rest for now_; try to sleep for four hours at the very least."

Yamamoto looked at his friend sitting inside "The Safe Room". During his and Dino's entire conversation, he had still not moved a single inch. "_Alright._" He conceded.

Dino let go of Yamamoto's shoulder, letting his arm fall back at his side and tried to smile comfortingly. "Your room is on the other end." The Cavallone Boss nodded in the direction of a bedroom door at one end of the bungalow safe house. "I'll check up on you in a while. Don't worry about Gokudera; we'll take care of him."

"Thank you." Yamamoto hesitatingly turned and left but not without giving Gokudera in "The Safe Room" another sad and worried look.

Dino watched him walk toward his room shut the door with a soft click.

"Romario," He looked at his Right hand still keeping watch on the eerily still and silent Storm Guardian. "Could you have someone make Gokudera something to eat? He hasn't had dinner yet."

"I'll recommend finger- foods; will that be alright, Boss?" Romario answered. Dino nodded.

"Please do. Perhaps you should ask Yamamoto what he'd like as well, and thank you." He replied. Romario nodded once, vacated the spot at the doorframe for him and left to carry out his new orders.

Once again, Dino leaned on the doorframe to watch and hope for even the slightest movement aside from breathing. "What did you say, Tsuna? What did you tell him to make him like this...?" He murmured. A flash of lightning cracked across the sky outside the balcony doors.

He stayed there for nearly half an hour, trying not to doze off. The noise of the rain outside was making him drowsy coupled with the fatigue he had built up from personally overseeing the preparations.

"Boss," Dino snapped awake when he heard Romario's voice.

"Romario," He acknowledged the older man's presence, noting that he was carrying a tray of rice and sushi. "Is that Gokudera's?"

'_That's not finger- food...' _He thought.

"His is still being cooked." Romario explained. "Please try to get some sleep yourself, Boss. You've done enough for tonight."

"I will, after I've checked on Yamamoto. Why don't you let me bring that to him and you keep an eye on Gokudera for me?" Dino absently replied.

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

**Time:** 11:36:21 PM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Sushi Delivery

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 15.53452345 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

Romario hesitated for a moment.

If he handed over the tray of food to his Boss, there would be no doubt that Yamamoto's supper would end up on the floor and **_on_** Dino instead of inside Yamamoto's room and his stomach. But he was also worried about his Boss and the Vongola Guardian of Storm. The Boss was nearly snoozing when he arrived... and it was an absolutely bad idea to fall asleep on Gokudera right now.

It was just as good as leaving him alone...

What to do...?

"That's alright, Boss. I'll take _Signor _Yamamoto his food first and-" Romario stopped when Yamamoto stepped out of his room and walked over to them.

"I thought I told you to rest?" Dino asked him, frowning as he quickly blinked his drowsiness off.

"I couldn't sleep." Yamamoto admitted. He'd spent the time packing his things in preparation for his departure in the early morning instead of resting like he was supposed to. He packed his box weapons and enough micro- hammers to take out a small army as well as the _katana_ he used in place of his _Shigure Kintoki_. He was only half done but he felt restless and decided to walk for a while.

"Please try eating some dinner. It might help you sleep better." Romario told him, holding out his tray of food, feeling slightly relieved that Yamamoto had showed up instead.

"_Sankyuu._" Yamamoto took the tray from him and peered into Gokudera's room. The storm outside looked like it had worsened. "Do you think I could try talking to Gokudera?" Yamamoto asked Dino quietly.

"You could try. He still hasn't moved at all. But you should really try to get some rest after eating though." Dino replied softly. Presently, a pretty house maid arrived in the lounge, carrying a tray of bread and chicken fingers.

"Is that Gokudera's?" Dino asked her.

"Yes _Signore_."

"Alright, will you please bring it inside? You can put it on the floor." The maid immediately obeyed and went inside.

"Boss, you should rest as well." Romario told his Boss.

"I'll stay with Gokudera; I'll try to get him to eat too." Yamamoto volunteered. "I'm really grateful for what you've done, Dino- _san_... You too, Romario- _san_."

"You guys... Fine, alright... Let me know if you get him to talk." Dino gave Gokudera another anxious look and went to his own sleeping quarters. Romario tailed after him just so he could make it into his room in one piece without tripping over his own feet for some strange reason or another. Yamamoto went inside "The Safe Room" and set his tray on the floor next to Gokudera's. The maid stood up and bowed to him before leaving the room to attend to other chores.

The storm outside had calmed a little. Lightning still streaked across the sky but the rain had lightened ever so slightly.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025 DISCONNECTED**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 11:40:21 PM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Storm Chasing

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 57.53452534 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

Yamamoto sat on the mattress beside Gokudera, looking at him with an anxious frown. Gokudera didn't acknowledge him again nor did he make any sign that was aware of anything else at all. Yamamoto sat awkwardly in silence, wondering what he should say in this unfamiliar situation... After a few more seconds of deafening silence, he finally decided to try to talk to him: "Gokudera, are you alright?" He tried. "Dino- _san_ and Romario- _san_ left... It's alright if you want to talk now..." [5]

Gokudera didn't say anything. Yamamoto sighed. "Actually, **_I'm_** the one who wants to talk. You shouldn't keep things to yourself like this either, Gokudera." Gokudera still didn't respond and continued to gaze at the cream- white wall.

"It's not your fault, you know." Yamamoto went on. "...Please; don't try dealing with this alone."

Nothing.

"Here, why don't you try eating something? You want to share my sushi?" Yamamoto tried again, picking up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks and waved it in Gokudera's face. "Hey..." He shook Gokudera's shoulder gently with his free hand. "Why won't you say anything? Gokudera...?"

"_Haah_..." Yamamoto sighed again. "I'm sorry... I'm bothering you, aren't I? But it's for your own good, Gokudera... Why won't you eat? Don't you have anything to say to me?" Yamamoto then unconsciously bit his lip, trying to keep himself from crying.

A new wave of heavy rain pelted on the balcony floor outside.

The storm had picked up and had gotten stronger again.

"Gokudera, _please_... Say something... _Anything_... Call me an 'Idiot' or anything; I won't mind... Just... just _please_ don't be like _this_..."

His friend continued to gaze silently at the wall, unmoving and unblinking. Yamamoto felt himself grow angry. He couldn't help it. This was just too much...!

"Don't just **_sit_** there! Please, Gokudera, **_eat!_**" He couldn't take seeing this anymore.

Since they arrived here, Gokudera had not said a single word.

Yamamoto put down the sushi and chopsticks back on the tray. He had tried to make his voice a little more forceful... but it was difficult since it had already begun to crack.

Suddenly, without thinking, he found his hands moving to catch his friend by his shoulders. "**_Damn it_**_, Gokudera! You're not the only one taking this hard!_" Yamamoto had grit his teeth, shaking him roughly. "Punch me back or something! Just don't sit there and stare at the wall like that, _damn_ _you!_"

Instead of retaliating like he was expected to, Gokudera continued to stay silent. Yamamoto then realized that he had been gripping his friend too hard... hard enough to physically hurt him...

"I- I'm sorry- I-I **_shouldn't_** have done that..." He tried to apologize: he'd misgauged his strength. Had Gokudera not been healed with the use of Sun attribute healing boxes, Yamamoto would have most likely reopened Gokudera's bullet wounds on his left shoulder. "Your injuries-" He fumbled for a piece of bread from Gokudera's dinner tray as an apology. "**_Here_**, eat something. This one's yours."

He held the bread close to Gokudera's face, half- expecting him to bite it and spit it back out at him... or at least shove it into his face. Yamamoto watched him, feeling slightly relieved when he saw Gokudera move his arms, as if to take the bread from him with both hands.

But his relief immediately turned into horror when he realized what exactly Gokudera was doing: Gokudera was actually moving his arms to wrap his fingers around his own throat... He was going to _strangle_ himself with his bare hands...

"_Gokudera, **NO!**_" Yamamoto cried throwing the bread aside. He moved to catch hold of his friend's wrists so he could pry them off his neck. "**_Stop it, Gokudera!_**"

He wrestled with him for a bit and was nearly overwhelmed by the sheer strength Gokudera had somehow managed to summon to fight back. He could feel the strength in his friend's arms as he tried to pry them away from his grasp.

"_Stop! _Don't **_do_** this, Gokudera! _Tsuna wouldn't_-" Yamamoto yelled, narrowly dodging the punches Gokudera had still been able to swing despite the fact that he was holding tightly onto his wrists. "Tsuna wouldn't want this-! Stop it **_now_**! _Gokudera_-_! I promised Tsuna that I_-"

Gokudera seemed to weaken at the mention of Tsuna's name but still kept struggling to break away from his grasp. He tried punching Yamamoto in the jaw... It didn't even hurt him...

Finally Yamamoto succeeded in pinning him down on the mattress, holding his arms up on both sides of his head by his wrists. Gokudera's head had hit the mattress hard, sending his short gray hair into a tousled mess under his head and out of his eyes.

Yamamoto looked down at the lifeless green eyes staring up at the ceiling, looking past his head, and felt like choking: "_Don't_... Gokudera... _Please_- don't... _Don't go there_..." He began to sob. "First Tsuna-" A tear fell and splattered onto Gokudera's cheek. "_Not you too_..."

Rain continued to pelt against the bulletproof glass.

"..._Please_, **_not you too_**..." Yamamoro found himself almost begging, trembling as he held his friend's wrists down on the mattress. He shut his eyes, praying that when he opened them it had all just been a nightmare.

He wanted to wake up and find Gokudera acting his animated, arrogant self and hot- tempered with him for some ridiculous reason or another... and that Tsuna was still alive and laughing at both of them for whatever idiocy they'd managed to come up with despite their age...

"... Ya...ma... moto..." He heard a hoarse voice whisper from under him. He opened his eyes just in time to see tears beginning to spill from the lifeless eyes that replaced the piercing hawk- like glare he was familiar with. "...Get... the fuck off... me..." Gokudera whispered croakily.

Yamamoto reluctantly let his wrists go, noting that he had once again gripped his friend too hard; there were dark red marks threatening to turn into bruises around Gokudera's wrists... He'd hurt his friend again. He'd forgotten to hold back in his attempt to keep Gokudera from hurting himself.

He quickly tried to wipe his eyes dry with his arm and mumbled his apologies. Meanwhile Gokudera said nothing and rolled to his side, bumping his shoulder unintentionally against Yamamoto's chest as he did so.

"I'm sorry," Yamamoto apologized again. He was about to say more when Gokudera slowly nudged him off with a trembling hand, got up from the mattress and walked toward the balcony doors.

"Where are you going?" Yamamoto asked, watching him confusedly. Gokudera still didn't answer and instead reached out to try and open the lock on the glass balcony doors.

Somewhere in the pit of his stomach Yamamoto felt that this wasn't over yet.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, praying that the truth wasn't what he had in mind. "Gokudera...?"

"Open this door." Gokudera whispered in a raspy voice, loud enough for Yamamoto to hear.

"I _can't_ do that."

"_Open it._"

"What are you going to do, Gokudera? Where are you going?" Yamamoto asked, feeling his chest beginning to hurt as he watched his friend try to open the lock on the balcony doors. He stood up from the mattress, hesitating to go and pull him away from them.

Gokudera said nothing in reply to his question.

"_Tell me Gokudera_, what are you going to do?" Yamamoto asked more forcefully. "Where are you going? It's _pouring_ out there- _what will you do?_"

"I **_said_** open this door." Gokudera said hoarsely but more forcefully.

"I told you I _can't_." Yamamoto answered, shaking his head in disbelief while staring at him.

His body became frozen with fear when Gokudera suddenly began to punch and pound on the bulletproof glass.

A swearing, hot- tempered and angry Gokudera he could handle.

A quiet, brooding Gokudera, though seemingly out of character was still fine by him.

The silent lifeless person from a while ago had scared him and he could not recognize him from the temperamental friend that he had grown up with for nearly eleven years.

..But this... **_This_**...

"_Open this door!_" Gokudera hissed as his punches became increasingly stronger. Lightning cracked across the sky again and thunder boomed overhead.

"I don't have the key," Yamamoto said softly. Tears threatened to fall again as he watched his friend punch and pound on the glass. "Gokudera, _don't_..."

**_BAM. _**

**_BUMP. _**A flash of lighting.

**_BAM. BAM. BAM. _**

**_BUMP. _**Another crack of thunder.

**_BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM._**

"Gokudera, **_stop it!_** What are **_you_** going to do?" Yamamoto asked. "_Please- **Tell me**- Gokudera-_"

Gokudera only kept punching the glass. Meanwhile the rain continued to spatter against it and flood the balcony outside.

"_Gokudera_-"

"**_Open the goddamn door; I want to see the sky!_**" Gokudera suddenly yelled, punching the glass even harder and not caring if the knuckles of his right hand had begun to bleed.

Lightning cracked across the sky once more.

Yamamoto watched his friend punch and pound on the glass over and over, and shook his head in fear and denial... watching the self- destructive stranger in front of him. There were traces of blood on one of the glass doors but it showed no signs of breaking.

He _knew_ he was supposed to go and pull him away. He _knew_ he was _supposed_ to force him back onto the bare mattress, even if he had to hold him down again. He **_knew_** he was **_supposed_** to keep him from hurting himself again...

But he couldn't.

Yamamoto, for the first time in his entire life, was afraid of Gokudera.

Gokudera finally stopped hitting the balcony doors and slowly pressed his forehead to the glass, trembling as tears began to fall from his lifeless green eyes. He sank to the floor weakly, unintentionally smearing the blood on the glass with his bleeding hand as he did so. His shoulders shook with sobs and he began to beat on the glass weakly with his bloodied fist. "..._I want to see the sky_... _Open it_... _Open the door, **please**- I want to see the sky..._"

Yamamoto wanted to move but remained frozen in place; watching his friend helplessly. '_This isn't Gokudera... It's **not** the Gokudera I know at all...'_

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 DISCONNECTED**

**CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

**Time:** 12:03:20 PM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Damage Control

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 22.33252343 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

"What's all that noise? _Yamamoto?!_" Dino was back and fully awake with Romario at his heels. Even the maid that had brought the food had gone to see the cause of the ruckus.

Dino took one look at Yamamoto, confused by the Guardian of Rain's current expression and state. Then he saw Gokudera, on the floor before the balcony doors and the blood on the glass.

Then Dino immediately figured out what had transpired: "**_Shi_**_t- _Romario, help me get him up-" He ordered his Right hand and rushed forward to pull Gokudera up and away from the glass doors.

"..._I want to see the sky_..." The Cavallone Boss heard as he knelt to help him up. Dino gritted his teeth and fought back the tears threatening to fall as he tried to calm the younger _Mafioso_ down. He and Romario then bodily hauled him back to the mattress.

"Yamamoto- I think you should have your dinner in your room instead-" Dino told the other Vongola Guardian in the room. "Rosemary, please clean this up." He told the maid nodding toward the blood handprint smears on the balcony doors.

"Yes Sir." She answered and went off to get some cleaning materials.

"Romario, would you mind staying and watching over Gokudera for a while? At least until before we have to leave?" Dino asked wearily then remembered that Gokudera's hand was bleeding. "But get the first aid kit first." He added.

"Yes Boss." Romario replied and left. Then Dino was alone in the room with the two Vongola Guardians.

"Yamamoto- you should really go- please get some rest; you're leaving early with me in the morning..." Dino said, watching Gokudera sadly. Yamamoto hesitated and tried to wipe his eyes again, although he hadn't let any tears fall again. Then he silently left, but without taking his food tray.

Dino sat down on the mattress and tried to hush and console as best as he could the still trembling, sobbing occupant of "The Safe Room"...

But for the first time in a _long time_, Dino Cavallone found himself not knowing what to do.

'_Damn you, Reborn...'_ He thought as he brushed the short gray hair in what he hoped was a comforting way (he hoped he could that right at the very least, even without a subordinate around). He could feel Enzo, the sponge- snapping turtle, stirring in the special inside pocket of his jacket. _'...you never taught me what to do in this kind of situation...'_

He stayed like that, seated on the bare mattress and waited for Gokudera to calm down, completely at a loss on what to do and say to him. Finally Romario returned a few minutes later...

Dino silently watched him work again. The smell of fresh bandages and ointment met his nose while Romario wrapped the bleeding knuckles carefully.

Rosemary had also returned and immediately got to work cleaning the blood off the glass.

"Boss, you have to prepare for your departure as well; please go back and try to get some rest." Romario told him solemnly. Dino sighed wearily, still troubled greatly by a large number of problems in his mind.

"Alright... Rosemary... When you finish, could you stay until Romario returns?" Dino asked the maid kneeling at the balcony doors.

"Yes Sir." She replied, bowing a little in her place on the floor and went back to work cleaning the blood off. Romario picked up the first aid kit and went to the doorway. He looked at the storm still raging beyond the balcony doors, probably hoping the weather would clear up, and waited for his Boss to get up from the mattress so he could escort him back to his room.

A few minutes later, Dino finally stood up but still looked worriedly at Gokudera: "Romario, will you go back later and watch over Gokudera? And check up on Yamamoto too." He asked quietly again, forgetting that he had already given the same orders earlier. There was just too much on his mind for him to take; he was still only human after all...

"Of course, Boss." Romario answered. Then Dino left with him, still feeling worried not only over Gokudera but now over Yamamoto as well.

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

**Time:** 02:20:10 AM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Planning Op. S.C.H.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 5.34529375 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

Romario returned from Dino's room some time later and was surprised to see two of the Vongola _Mafiosi _sitting on one of the couches in the lounge outside "The Safe Room". One of them (the younger one), was Mariano, if he remembered correctly. Both of them were gathering the dynamite sticks into small neat stacks. Then Mariano caught sight of him and informed his companion... Then the other nodded once to Romario... indicating that he wanted to speak with him. Romario frowned slightly, wondering what this was about.

"Romario- _san_, I need to talk to you."

Romario side- glanced at the balcony doors inside the Gokudera's room from the doorway. The blood had been cleaned off the glass... The storm outside was still not showing signs of letting up.

"What is it?" Romario asked, frowning. The _Mafioso_ speaking to him stood up and led him toward the lounge fireplace. Mariano (whose leg had been injured thanks to a bullet) got up and limped over to stand guard near the doorway of "The Safe Room".

"Everything I'm about to tell you- you must not tell your Boss or his life will also be danger."

Romario frowned and knit his eyebrows as he thought out his decision... "Alright. I'm listening."

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 029**

**Time:** 02:00:12 AM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing. Archive file 006 to be deleted after transmission completed.

**Archive File Summary:** Preparations for Op. S.C.H.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 2.34529375 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 029**

Two o'clock in the early morning, a lone figure sat in the dark and flipped open a cell phone, accessing the Clam Clan Chat program that was only available to a certain number of the Vongola mafia and selected allies.

'_Am I doing the right thing...Don Vongola...?'_ He thought, fingering the rings he used to open his box weapons. His other weapons lay on the floor and on the mattress he was sitting on. The rings glinted in the light of the cell phone display as he buzzed a username and typed out a message in a private conversation window.

There was much that needed to be done.

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**RECONNECTION FAILED; CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 029? (Y/N)?**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

**Time:** 03:00:00 AM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Cavallone Safe house status report

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 1.39454325 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 025**

At exactly three o'clock in the morning, the Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi left the Cavallone safe house with The Tenth Cavallone Family Boss, Dino Cavallone, along with a number of his men and one of the more able Vongola _Mafiosi_.

Gokudera Hayato, Vongola Guardian of Storm, was left behind (along with the two other surviving Vongola _Mafiosi_) and placed under tight security. They had him sedated for until they could transport him to a more secure and better equipped Vongola safe house in France.

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

**Time: **05:34:09 AM

**Location:** European airspace, Tenth Cavallone Boss' Private Jet

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Surveillance on Vongola Guardian of Rain

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 02.04934584percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024**

"Romario... what do you suppose is true loyalty?" Dino asked his Right hand suddenly. Romario was taken aback by the question.

"I supposed it could be compared to a double- edged blade, Sir." Romario answered truthfully, echoing the words the Vongola _Mafioso_ had said to him earlier that morning.

"Is that so?" Dino looked back outside the window of his private jet and pondered over his Right hand man's words.

Two and a half hours later after Dino and Yamamoto's departure, Millefiore assassination squads from the Black Spell arrived at the Cavallone safe house and massacred its occupants: a total of twenty Cavallone _Mafiosi_ were killed by gunfire along with one Vongola _Mafioso_ in sanctuary and asylum in the safe house. The entire housekeeping staff of the Cavallone safe house was wiped out as well: Five men killed by stab wounds, six men were shot multiple times, eight housemaids sexually assaulted and killed by gunfire and or from serious physical injuries. One house maid was discovered poisoned to death.

The storage box containing the key to the balcony doors and windows of "The Safe Room" was never recovered.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 024 DISCONNECTED**

**CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

**RESTART TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**(Y/N)?**

**

* * *

**

**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **Tsk, tsk... Tsuna died and made a mess... And what a mess... Instead of a Yamamoto- Gokudera comedy we have the klutzy Boss Dino for (very brief) comic relief. It must really suck to be Romario... I hope the pay's worth it.

**[1] Sealing Flames: **Yamamoto requested that the Sky and Mist flames be used to lock the storage boxes since those are the only flames that Gokudera is not capable of using. The Sky flame used is Dino's and the Mist flame belonged to a subordinate with Mist wave energy that Dino had Romario pick at random.

**[2] "A Double Edged- Blade": **What Dino meant about the irony of loyalty being the thing that would kill Gokudera for the benefit of the people who follow the anime series: In Target 61 of the KHR Manga, Dino was requested by the Ninth to test Gokudera's loyalty to Tsuna. They never showed this chapter in the anime though.

**[3] "The Safe Room":** Based on the wards of the mental health center we visited for one of my psych classes last semester. The patients there are only given a mattress to sleep on and their clothes are simply designed. While on the surface it seems harsh, they are necessary precautionary measures to ensure that the patients don't hurt themselves, other patients and the hospital personnel. Yamamoto is right in worrying, and with Gokudera's brains and disposition, he **_just_** might succeed in doing what they all fear him doing, given the right materials and circumstances...

**[4] Vongola 11th (?) and Mafia Family Structures: **I got the idea of having Dino speculate about Tsuna making Gokudera the Eleventh boss after seeing the picture of the Fifth Vongola boss... He kinda resembles Gokudera in the manga so I thought it could happen. I mean, Tsuna looks like the First Boss, Xanxus the Second and the Eighth might be what older Chrome could look like. But this is a **_speculation_**. There is almost nothing else known about Gokudera's original mafia Family and biological family other than the fact his father is the boss and his Family was freakin' rich. I'm considering the scenario that Gokudera may have possibly been groomed as a child to become a successor to his mafia boss father in the absence of a male heir in his original Family (even though Bianchi is the legitimate child; some cultures and families still favor the male over the female and could have built up the pressure on Gokudera's father to fabricate the child Gokudera's image as a genius and have Bianchi continue to feed him Poison Cooking to control him). But we all know he ran away after learning he wasn't legit.

Mafia families can be composed in two kinds of organization systems. One type of mafia family is composed of the boss' own family. The boss' son is expected to take over after their father or some other eligible blood relation (like in the case of Tsuna and the Ninth), and works sort of like monarchy. A second type of mafia group is an organization of people who call themselves a 'family' even if they were not following a strict blood relationship. The boss could pick his successor from any of his subordinates. Kind of what they do in a corporate business.

**[5] 80 and 59 in Action:** The original chapter draft should have been about Yamamoto after leaving Dino in charge of Gokudera while he gathers info, dodging spies and assassins then checking into a hotel in Namimori but it somehow ended up the way it did. There wasn't supposed to be any interaction between Yamamoto and Gokudera at all... Yeah, pour out the **_angst_**... and lay it out extra thick...

_Oooh..._ The plot thickens...

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**PREVIEW**

**Rewrite 004: Title Pending**

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**Time:** 02:13:40 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note:** Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola famiglia member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance.

**Mission objective incomplete**

**Mission objective modified to present priorities**

**Mission File Status:** _Downloading 03.34353453 percent complete..._

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING**

MILLEFIORE VIRUS DETECTED: WRITER'S BLOCK; COMMENCE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN

**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION?**

**(Y/N?)**

* * *

For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

Pft... I got lazy in typing a preview. Writer's Block... I'm going to go back to playing with the PSP now... I'll post when I finish my God of War and my Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII games...


	4. Rewrite 004: Setting the Stage

Thank you to everybody who gave reviews for Rewrites 001-003! Rereading all of them got the Millefiore Writer's Block Virus quarantined somehow: so now I bring Rewrite 004! It was supposed to be the original Rewrite 03 but that would have been too boring and a Hell of a waste of good ideas. I was stuck for a while because I needed to work out the bugs in the first three chapters. I'm going to tie up some of the loose ends together in this one (and maybe the next two chapters). I've edited what grammatical and plot errors I could find in the previous three chapters so it that they would be consistent with this chapter.

I don't have a definite plot (yet). Since I'm having this tie up with events in the manga (which is still ongoing), I'm just making things up as I go along.

_...My goodness..._ I still couldn't get my mind off Rewrite 003... Waaah! Poor Goku! And even poorer Yama- _chan_!! (And while I'm at it: _Poor_ _Romario_!)

A lot of people said the narrator was Gokudera so I looked over all the chapters again. _Hmm..._ Something doesn't add up: In Rewrite 003, Gokudera **WANTED** to see the sky (or wants to see Tsuna, whichever way you interpret it) and it ended with Yamamoto on the way to Japan while Gokudera was left behind in Sicily. In Rewrite 001, the narrator **_CAN'T_** look at the sky because it reminds him of Tsuna... and he's in Japan. Err... _WHY IS THAAAAAT?? _D8

I already know my story looks confusing, and it's supposed to be that way.

At this stage, the characters are in a period where it's a kill-or-be-killed world, there's suspicion, deceit and pretty much anything else that paints the world of the mafia.

I probably sound like I have a lot of spare time to write; that's because I'm on summer vacation (two weeks left?) and I've got nothing much to do besides sleeping, rereading old books and playing the PS2 or PSP. I wanted to learn more on how to drive but nobody has the time to teach me. TT-TT

Anyways, on with Rewrite 004!

**Reminder again:** Anything labeled with **ARCHIVE FILE** at the beginning and end is a flashback and is done in third person perspective. Anything with **MISSION FILE** means a real time narration in the first person perspective.

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**Disclaimer:** Amano Akira gets paid for writing KHR! I write this thing for fun and for free.

**Warning:** Violence, swearing and a lot of other things that little kids shouldn't know about.

* * *

**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 004: Setting the Stage**

Written: Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 09:16:27 PM

Updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 015**

**Time:** 05:00:00 PM

**Location:** Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing. CCC Record to be automatically deleted

**Archive File Summary:** Clam Clan Chat Record

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 34.236985485 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 015**

Giannini hummed an indistinct tune as he worked in the kitchen, making adjustments to the plumbing under the sink. It wasn't a happy tune though.

Two days before, he received a message that his Boss, the Vongola Tenth had been murdered.

He was murdered a young man and before he could see the completion of his underground Namimori base. Giannini however tried to keep his professionalism and continued to work on the base, hoping to at least provide a sanctuary for the remaining members of the Vongola _Famiglia._

The weapon tuner's cell phone, which he had placed on the kitchen counter beside the sink, suddenly vibrated several times. This meant that the private messaging alert had activated the "Clam Clan Chat" program. The vibrating alert was just in case the user was in a dangerous situation and any sort of noise could give away their location. This was assuming the cell phone was in the user's pocket. Unfortunately this feature made it rather useless since Giannini was so engrossed with the plumbing that he didn't even hear the repeated vibrating.

Finally after several vibrating alerts, the phone kicked in its emergency alert feature. The Namimori Middle's Alma Mater song suddenly rang and echoed throughout the kitchen, making the weapon tuner jump in surprise and hit his head on the underside of the sink.

Giannini immediately scrambled out from under the sink (but not without some difficulty) and made a grab for his phone while rubbing the sore top of his head.

The "Namimori Middle Alma Mater Song" was only used as an exclusive identification ringtone for the Vongola Ring Guardians. It was only used for extreme emergencies- an SOS signal of sorts.

Giannini looked at the only name flashing in the list of usernames in the exclusive Vongola Family chat program, the "Clam Clan Chat". [2] He had jointly created the chat program with the Tenth Vongola Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi and Vongola Guardian of Storm, Gokudera Hayato as a secure means of communication within the Vongola mafia and a few select non-members.

He frowned in puzzlement when he saw the Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi's username active bearing a rather unusual message. [1]

* * *

**_-Clam Clan Chat-_**

**_-CCC Private Message Enabled-_**

* * *

**_010RainingClams:_**_ I don't have much time. I'm sending you a document with instructions. Send me the specs for all the blueprints listed inside it right away._

**_010RainingClams:_** _I can't everything explain here. I don't have time._

**_010RainingClams:_** _Make sure everything is in place before I check in. I can't let the Horses get involved with this anymore than they are already._

**_GiantClam02: _**_Okay_. -_confused-_

**_GiantClam02: _**_What's all this for?_

**_010RainingClams:_** _Later. It's all in the file._

* * *

**_010RainingClams is sending a document file: . Accept? (Y/N)?_**

**_GiantClam02 has accepted document file: Downloading _**

**_Download complete._**

* * *

**_010RainingClams: _**_Read all of it. I'll log- in again in ten minutes_

**_GiantClam02: _**_Okay._

**_-010RainingClams has signed out-_**

* * *

Giannini stared at the screen confused wondering what the Vongola Guardian possibly had in mind. It was sometimes difficult to tell what that man was thinking.

He supposed it came with job.

Giannini then plugged his cell phone to a laptop he had left on the kitchen. He had been using it to modify the schematics and blueprints of the hideout for adjustments but this became first priority now. He downloaded the document file from the cell phone to it, trying to figure out why the entire conversation was in done in such a hurry. 'Horses' would mean the Cavallone _Famigli_a but if he was with them why was there an impression that it was all done hurriedly and in secrecy?

Once the download finished, Giannini accessed it inputted his personal password to open the file.

The weapon- tuner then stared with his jaw dropped open in awe and bewilderment at the contents when the entire file opened.

It contained a full timetable and a list of equipment and instructions. It also contained orders to confirm a hotel reservation, a request for blueprints of the Millefiore explosives and of the Strau Mosca units stolen a week before. There was also a list of other materials needed and the list of personnel to deploy. All of it was to orchestrate a Millefiore assassination made to look like a suicide or an accident. A checklist was also attached to the end of the file, containing all the tasks and arrangements that needed to be done.

_'When did he have the time to think and come up with all of these?'_ Giannini absently wondered as he bustled to take care of the arrangements he'd been sent do. _'It's like there were two people working simultaneously.' _As far as he knew, only three people had knowledge about the blueprints for wiring the stolen explosives.

The document was signed with a familiar electronic signature and a postscript that the document would delete itself once all the items in the check list had been ticked off.

_'But what's all this for, Signore?'_ Giannini asked the absent Guardian in his mind.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 015 DISCONNECTED**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 015? (Y/N)?**

**NO**

**INITIATING AUTOMATIC DELETION OF SECTION FROM ARCHIVE FILE 015**

**DELETING SECTION FROM ARCHIVE FILE 015**

**SECTION FROM ARCHIVE FILE 015 DELETED**

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**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**Time:** 03:56:23 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note: Vongola Guardian Bodyguard Escort **consisting of five Vongola _Mafioso_ and five Cavallone _Mafioso. _Nine killed in initial confrontation with four Strau Mosca Units. One surviving Cavallone member engaged the three remaining units in a second encounter. One temporarily disabled and two escaped.

Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola _Famiglia_ member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed.**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete.**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance

**Mission objective changed.**

4. Delay Strau Moscas

**Mission objective incomplete.**

**Mission File Status: **_Cannot commence deletion of mission file. _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING **

I've been running for several minutes now. Occasionally I looked back to see if I'd been followed and listened for any signs of an ambush to intercept me.

In addition to my own things, I now had the rings, boxes and the belt of automatic handguns from the murdered Vongola and Cavallone men. I wondered why they'd been given to me and wondered even more why I had taken them.

What good were automatic handguns against the mechanical monsters, the Strau Moscas?

**The Strau Mosca: **The second generation of Gola Mosca. This mechanical humanoid weapon was bigger and in many ways superior to the Gola Mosca prototypes that were sold to Vongola.

The Millefiore's Strau line is built to detect rings and subsequently locate their users. They have immensely destructive firepower, thick solid armor, high speed accelerations and wide maneuverability.

There is no way a single injured man could hold off three fully operational Strau Mosca units long enough for me to meet up with others in time. With the kind of injury he had, he would most likely be finished before he can take down one unit.

_'Damn it! Why? Why did they have to go that far so I wouldn't get caught? And why did I leave him behind? Shit, shit, shit, shit, you fool!'_ I thought angrily as I adjusted the belt of automatic handguns slung around my shoulder.

I couldn't activate any boxes since it meant giving away my position to the Strau Moscas. It didn't help that I had to use high grade rings to match the kinds of boxes I used. If I could use lower grade rings, my presence wouldn't be so easily detected. But my problem with low grade rings was that they shattered after a few uses; usually that meant that they couldn't handle the user's wave energy... Couldn't handle one's resolution... The low grade rings were meant for people who had weaker control over their wave energy and even for training purposes.

_'Shit, shit, shit, shit...' _I was still far from where I needed to go and I couldn't hear anymore the sounds of battle. I had no doubts that the Cavallone man had died in the attempt.

I bowed my head briefly to pay my respects to him and his comrades as I ran.

If he had died while trying to buy me time to escape then I mustn't waste his and his comrades' sacrifice.

For them, I promised to never get caught. But how was I to do that?

The Strau Moscas have been delayed but there would be no doubt that they would be back to wandering around the forest before I could reach the rendezvous point.

...But...

_'But what...'_

What if I could delay the Strau Mosca even more...?

Even for just a few minutes?

**_Hell_**, even a few seconds... It didn't seem like much but even a scant few seconds could make all the difference.

As I am now, I couldn't risk getting into a direct confrontation with the Strau Moscas. I was at an even greater disadvantage since I was alone. If I got caught or died in a fight it would disregard the entire purpose of my faking my death. Information could be relayed to the Millefiore and they would find out that I was still actually alive.

_'I can't use my rings... so I can't use my boxes. Think, you idiot!'_

I slowed down and eventually stopped running so I could take a good look at the area I was in: There were several trees around me, thick enough to hide in and more than sturdy enough to hold a grown man's weight. Then I looked carefully at their branches and positions.

I glanced at the belt of loaded handguns that had been given to me.

_'...I don't have much time...' _I thought. _'...You probably didn't have this in mind when you gave these to me but I have to make this quick...'_

I slipped off the belt of handguns from my shoulder. I carefully studied the triggers and safety switches of each one. I had a total of ten, all fully loaded.

Then I took out a roll of the smallest, thinnest piano wire [5] and a thick, heavy- duty knife from inside my jacket. They were some of my concealed weapons Giannini sent through the backpack switch back at the hotel. In the absence of a close range weapon, I would have used the wire to choke or bind someone in the case that a human Millefiore assassin found me. The knife was also for in case I got into a close range fight. Even though this era used boxes and rings as means of combat there were still some advantages in having the old- fashioned fighting styles.

I could hear the twisted snickers of the warp- brained Royal Pain who left me to figure out how to use the wire on my own without so much as lifting a finger in my mind ("_Shishishishishi... _Because I'm a Prince... _Shishisishishi_..." _'Ugh... Lazy- Ass Creep...' _I had thought then.) [3]

After picking one tree that looked sufficient to hide me but still provide enough light for me to see what I was doing, I immediately got to work. I gave myself a time limit of thirty minutes before I had to leave.

_'...Thirty minutes...'_

I took off my jacket so I could work a little easier and climb the trees without much hindrance later. Then I laid out my things on the base of the tree and began to cut the wire with the knife into different lengths. I took into consideration the distances between the trees and the entire length of the piano wire I had. [4]

_'...twenty- seven minutes...'_

I quickly wove the remaining length of the roll of piano wire around some trees, an estimated area of five to seven meters, to form a network where I would later attach more wires to.

_'...Thirteen minutes...'_

I then tied a piece of wire around the trigger of one handgun and after estimating the height of a Strau Mosca, attached it to the lower branches of a tree. I hung the gun by the wire, suspended in such a way so that it could recoil and reload automatically like it was supposed to. I repeated the process until I had positioned all ten in a circular formation. Each one was positioned pointing downward at a thirty to forty- five degree angle and at different heights. I carefully dropped the remaining lengths of wire to the ground, making sure that they didn't snag on other branches. Then I tested each wire, judging the strength needed to make each trigger move and estimated the allowance needed to make it each gun go off before I could tie it down securely to the wire network on the ground.

_'...Five minutes...'_

I took each trigger wire and attached them to the network I had laid out before, stepping carefully so I wouldn't trip the whole thing myself. The entire thing was rigged to make each gun fire with every movement made on the network of wires. This was assuming the Strau Moscas move too much if they stepped inside my trap. Hopefully one of the bullets from all ten could hit a vital piece of circuitry on a Strau Mosca's head to at least temporarily disable it.

_'...Zero minutes...'_

I picked up my jacket again, and threw the belt which held the handguns away and into some bushes. I didn't need it and I still needed to travel light.

Then I immediately set off again.

I don't run this time. Just brisk walking.

If I moved too hastily, the adrenaline and lactic acid in my body would build up and I would later find myself with an ulcer and muscle cramps...

I went on like this for about another twenty minutes.

The forest is still silent.

My whole body was shaking again. Not from fear but in anticipation this time.

Five minutes pass and then once more, as if on cue, I heard the sounds of several guns going off.

I took that as my signal to start running as fast as I could toward the rendezvous point again. It was still further from the actual hideout entrance but there was somebody I needed to escort from there.

From the sound of things, it looked like only one of the Mosca had gotten caught in my trap. There was still a possibility that I would run into the second one later.

_'I'm not going to get caught! Not if I can help it!'_

I still had a distance to cover before I could reach the rendezvous point and hopefully the entrance to the hideout.

* * *

**Time:** 04:13:07 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note: Vongola Guardian Bodyguard Escort **consisting of five Vongola _Mafioso_ and five Cavallone _Mafioso. _Nine killed in initial confrontation with four Strau Mosca Units. One surviving Cavallone member engaged the three remaining units in a second encounter. One temporarily disabled and two escaped.

Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola _Famiglia_ member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance

**Mission objective changed**

4. Delay Strau Moscas

**Mission objective complete**

**Mission File Status: **_Cannot commence deletion of mission file. _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING **

**TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001 DISCONNECTED**

**RECONNECTION FAILED; CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 026**

**Time: **01:45:02 AM

**Location:** Cavallone Seaside Safe house, Sicily

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Surveillance on Vongola Guardian of Storm

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 10.24982397 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 026**

The storm over the sea turned into a rain shower.

After that the rain shower became a drizzle.

Soon the drizzle turned into a fog, covering the Sicilian Sea and misting the glass balcony doors and windows.

The Tenth Cavallone's Right hand, _Signor _Romario, had yet to return to take over watching the Vongola Guardian of Storm.

Rosemary briefly wondered what could have taken the man so long...

She wrung out the rag she had used to clean up the blood, letting the water drip into the small bucket she had brought with her. The only other person in the room sat silently like a ghost, his bandaged hand resting on his lap. Rosemary figured she should try to convince him to eat herself.

The food she'd prepared for him was going to go cold.

There was still the untouched tray of rice and sushi left behind by the Vongola Guardian of Rain... She then wondered if it would be alright to leave him for a short while so she could reheat his food.

But then remembering the close call from awhile ago, she thought it would be best to find someone to temporarily keep watch while she went to reheat the Guardian of Storm's food.

Rosemary got up, leaving the bucket and rag near the balcony doors and walked to the doorway of "The Safe Room".

She peered lounge outside and spotted one of the Vongola _Mafiosi_ warming himself in the lounge fireplace. It had been lit sometime after the storm lifted so the safe house could be warmed inside.

Rosemary called him over, noticing that he was limping slightly, and asked him to stand guard temporarily while she went to prepare again the food.

He complied, politely accepting the task and went inside "The Safe Room" albeit hesitantly.

Rosemary picked up the bucket and quickly left to throw away the blood- mixed water and store the rag and bucket. Afterwards, she washed her hands and went back to "The Safe Room" to retrieve the trays of food.

The _Mafioso _she had asked for help from stood beside the Vongola Guardian's mattress, looking rather uncomfortable with the silence.

She mouthed an apology to him and asked him to wait a little longer before she could come back and take the other _Mafioso _in the room off his hands.

_'What a waste of good food.'_ Rosemary picked up the two trays of food on the floor and quickly made her way to the kitchens.

She heated the plate of chicken fingers in a microwave and toasted the bread again. Then she prepared the food on the tray once again and carried it back to "The Safe Room".

She returned to find the Vongola _Mafioso _she had asked to cover for her now sitting on the mattress, staring up at his superior with a rather bewildered expression on his young face. The gray- haired _capo_ was now standing in front of the balcony doors again, but this time drawing on the vapor that had fogged the glass.

Rosemary wondered whether she should go in just yet. He certainly looked a little calmer than he had been a few hours ago. But she wondered if he was recovered at all.

The younger Vongola _Mafioso _caught sight of her and stood up abruptly; giving the Guardian of Storm a muttered excuse before bowing and taking his leave.

Gokudera turned away from the balcony doors and sat back on the edge of the bare mattress in place of the now absent lower- ranking _Mafioso_; looking up at the indecipherable drawings he'd made on the glass.

Rosemary looked at them curiously but from the distance she was standing in, they didn't make much sense to her so she decided not to think much of them.

Finally, Rosemary decided to go inside and do her job: "_Signor _Gokudera? I've brought you your food. Please try to eat."

He didn't answer nor acknowledge her presence. Rosemary knelt beside the mattress and set the tray down in front of him.

"_Signor _Gokudera, you must eat. You have to recover your strength. _Signor_ Yamamoto was very worried."

He still didn't look at her.

Rosemary picked up one piece of the chicken fingers and held it out for him to take. "Here, bite." She brought it close to his face.

He turned his face away from it and brushed the food and her hand away from him.

They did this three more times.

"_Signor_ Gokudera, don't be difficult please." Rosemary said, trying to keep her annoyance from showing itself in her voice.

She **_mustn't_** give up!

She once again tried to convince him to eat.

Rosemary sighed when the Vongola _Mafioso _brushed away again the chicken finger she was trying to feed him yet again. There other Vongola _Mafiosi _in the Cavallone safe house to take care of. And she's supposed to be a 'housemaid'! Not a caregiver!

She frowned and looked at the Vongola _Mafioso _sitting on the bare mattress. He looked very weary and forlorn. Apparently he hadn't slept at all and he was a complete mess: his short gray hair was unkempt and it fell into his half- lidded eyes.

_'It's a pity to see such good looks wasted.'_ Rosemary thought as she watched him stare at the floor languidly, his head still slightly turned away from her.

"_Signor_ Gokudera, won't you try at least a bite?" She tried to feed him the chicken finger again, bringing it closer to his lips.

Once again, he brushed it away.

"_Signor_ Gokudera-" She began but stopped when she saw him looking at her out the corner of his eye.

"Is it... any good?" He asked hoarsely. Rosemary frowned in puzzlement.

"It's very good! I made it myself! I even made some for _Signor_ Dino." She then smiled at him. She tried to make it as cheery as possible... He seemed to need a lot of cheering up; it was the least she thought she could do for the poor man.

He practically tried to kill himself awhile ago... _He might just end up killing himself again later_...

"... I see..." Gokudera said quietly.

"You have to eat something. You won't get better if you don't. Everyone is waiting for you!" Rosemary continued, trying her hardest to convince him.

Gokudera looked frozen for a second.

"Everyone is... waiting for me...?" He asked and took the chicken finger from her.

Rosemary smiled when he did so. _'Finally!'_

"... I got you." Some semblance of the handsome _Mafioso_ seemed to return to his person through the faint smile that appeared on his lips. "_Bouquets to you._" He added and looked at her with oddly bright green eyes.

Rosemary pulled her hand away and looked curiously at the drawings he'd made on the glass balcony doors earlier.

They looked like several flowers drawn on the misted glass. [6]

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 026 DISCONNECTED**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 026? (Y/N)?**

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**INIZIANDO SULLA BASE DI DATI CLASSIFICATA V-ORG/FAMIGLIA DELLA LIMA DI ARCHIVIO**

**BASE DI DATI D'ACCESSO DI VONGOLA**

**CARICAMENTO V- ORG OP REGOLAZIONI...**

**CARICAMENTO...**

**68.62473942 LE PERCENTUALI COMPLETANO...**

**CARICAMENTO...**

**98.60024242 LE PERCENTUALI COMPLETANO...**

**INTEGRAZIONE NEL SISTEMA DI TRASMISSIONE DELLA LIMA DELL'ARCHIVIO DI VONGOLA FAMIGLIA COMPLETO**

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TO BE CONTINUED IN **"La Rottura di Omérta"**: Article I- "Dovere, Lealtà, Servizio e Morte"

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time: **04:45:02 PM

**Location:** Pacific Ocean airspace, Tenth Cavallone Boss' Private Jet

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing.

**Archive File Summary:** Surveillance on Vongola Guardian of Rain

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 10.21437493 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

Yamamoto looked out of the window, watching the clouds floating over and underneath the speeding jet plane. Beside him, Dino fed his sponge snapping turtle, Enzio, a piece from dry slice of bread.

During the jet's take off, Dino had been sitting with his Right hand, Romario. After the sign signaling that it was alright to unbuckle the seatbelts had been turned on, Dino had wandered to his seat and offered to keep him company. They did not speak to each other for most of the middle of the flight as they both felt exhausted.

Yamamoto finally got bored of watching the clouds. He turned his head to watch the sponge snapping turtle eat out of its master's hand instead.

Just then Dino's satellite cell phone rang. Ideally cell phones should be turned off while travelling in air. The Tenth Cavallone Boss however used a cell phone that was given to him by the Tenth Vongola Boss as a gift. It was one of the many special cell phone units designed by the Vongola weapon tuner Giannini.

"Yamamoto, would you mind holding onto Enzio for me a sec? I have to take this call." Yamamoto looked up and reached over to take the small turtle. Enzio stretched its head out, trying to reach the rest of the sliced bread Dino had in his hand. Yamamoto took that as a sign that it was still hungry and took the sliced bread from Dino's hand as well.

"Thanks," Dino unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up to take the call at the back of the jet. Yamamoto unlocked the tray on the back of the seat in front of him and set the sponge snapping turtle and the bread onto it. He let Enzio nibble at a corner of the bread slice, holding onto the back of its shell so it wouldn't fall off by accident in case of turbulence. He looked out of the window once again, frowning worriedly.

He hadn't been able to sleep last night. He had tried to catch some on the jet but found that he couldn't either. He was much too worried about how things were in Namimori.

He'd tried contacting their headquarters in Italy but had not received any response.

Everything had been thrown into complete chaos since Tsuna died.

The Millefiore had attacked Vongola members and allies for what seemed like absolutely no reason. The harassment continued and many from their side were lost. Finally, the Vongola headquarters decided to surrender when the Millefiore showed intent of entering negotiations. Both sides had agreed to schedule a meeting for two representatives to meet on the condition that the Vongola would send the envoy the Millefiore requested.

That envoy was the Tenth Boss of the Vongola: Sawada Tsunayoshi.

One the day of the negotiations, Tsuna said he had felt uneasy in going. Even Gokudera had felt something wasn't right.

But none of them could have known that there was really no plan for a negotiation at all.

It ended with their satellite base going up in smoke and several of their men killed.

Worst of all, it resulted in Tsuna's cold- blooded murder.

Yamamoto heard only a part of Tsuna's last words because he was busy calling up the Cavallone Boss for help. Gokudera had stayed with Tsuna for the most part and tried to stop the blood from his wounds from flowing too much.

They tried hard.

Yet there wasn't anything they could do to save Tsuna.

The Cavallone arrived by helicopter and airlifted them and the surviving three Vongola _Mafiosi_ from the base to a safe house in Sicily. Gokudera had fallen silent during the entire trip and did not do anything else. This worried Yamamoto immensely. He had expected him to either mourn their friend's death raucously or take charge of the situation like he was supposed to and save whatever they could of the Vongola mafia. However he did neither of the two. This had made Yamamoto very wary and he kept a close eye on his friend during the helicopter ride.

At one point during the trip, he caught Gokudera loading a gun with only one bullet.

It wasn't even a special bullet.

It confirmed Yamamoto's fears and it took at least five men to restrain him so he could take the gun away. Gokudera only stopped resisting when he had shot one of their men by accident. It was a good thing he was young; he would not have a permanent limp even after that wound healed.

Yamamoto had then called up Dino to have a locked and windowless room with absolutely nothing in it but a mattress prepared for when they arrived.

Once they arrived in Sicily, Dino was waiting to meet them. Romario was also ready with an injection containing a sedative. Then they were transported to the safe house. Yamamoto and Romario had disarmed Gokudera of every stick of dynamite they could find and his boxes during the trip there. They also confiscated his rings, cigarettes and lighter and put him in the bare room after he had gone into surgery to remove the bullets from his shoulder and leg.

Gokudera had not done anything nor said anything else after that.

Excluding his outburst from last night, he had not said a word... even about anything Tsuna had told him.

Whatever final orders or last wills Tsuna had uttered before his death were now lost inside Gokudera's subconscious.

"What now, Tsuna?" He murmured, petting the top of Enzio's head with his index finger. "What happens now?"

"Sorry that took a while. Did Enzio behave himself?" Dino was back, pocketing his phone in an inside pocket of his parka.

"He's better behaved than Gokudera's cat." Yamamoto quipped, remembering the mischievous box weapon kitten. He learned, after Tsuna had captured it himself in his office, Uri had bitten Tsuna when he tried to leave his office.

Yamamoto wondered if the box weapon had sensed that Tsuna would die if he stepped out of his office.

No, he was being silly. There was no way a box weapon could have known that.

"There are Millefiore personnel deployed in Japan. It appears that they are mostly concentrated in Namimori." Dino told him. "It looks like they are searching for your base."

"How soon do we reach Japan?" Yamamoto asked.

"We should be there in at least under two hours." Dino replied sitting back down on his seat beside Yamamoto. "- provided the weather stays in our favor." He reached over and had a mini tug- of-war over the piece of bread with his pet turtle. "Enzio, that's enough." He gave the little reptile a light flick on the nose to make it let go of the bread.

Just then one of Dino's subordinates, a large man with a brown Mohawk, went up to them from the back of the plane.

"Uhm... Boss- there's something you have to know." He said apprehensively, giving Yamamoto a nervous look.

"Is it about the Millefiore?" Dino asked when he noticed him behaving warily because of Yamamoto's presence.

"Y- Yes Sir."

"Then, it's alright to say it in front of Yamamoto. He needs all the information he can get on them. What is it, Ivan?" Dino prompted him to continue.

"Boss- it's the safe house in Sicily." The man began nervously. Yamamoto's eyes flashed attentively at the mention of 'safe house' and 'Sicily'. "There's been an attack- everyone inside- even the housekeeping staff, they've all been killed."

"**_WHAT?! WHEN?!_**" Dino's thundered, suddenly standing up from his seat. His Mohawk- haired subordinate cringed at the volume of his Boss' voice.

"Exactly two and a half hours after we left, Boss-" The large man reported meekly. Dino's face had paled at the thought of the people left behind and killed.

"**_SHIT! Gokudera-! _**He was supposed to be transported to France in four hours after we left!" Yamamoto's had face drained of color as well. If not for his seatbelt, he would have also risen from his seat. "_He was still there!_"

"Fuck." Dino swore. "_Damn it! Fuck. Fuck_... How could this have happened...?" He sank in his seat and put his head between his hands, his fingers tangling into his already unruly blond hair.

"Dino-_ san_, the Millefiore- they did this because of us. I'm so sorry..." Yamamoto tried to think of something to apologize for the massacre of the members of Dino's Family.

"I _can't_ say it's alright." Dino said quietly, his voice shaking with anger. "It's **_unforgivable!_**"

"If you want to break the alliance between the Cavallone and the Vongola, I will understand. Your men's safety has more priority over us." Yamamoto said while trying to keep himself from throttling Dino's subordinate to tell him what had become of Gokudera and Felicio, the other Vongola _Mafioso, _and another one whose name Yamamoto hadn't been able to get, whom they had all left behind. Originally the plan was that Mariano, the young Vongola _Mafioso_ with the injured leg, would stay behind and look after Gokudera. Instead he had volunteered to accompany Yamamoto on the Cavallone jet, claiming Felicio had overslept. He would later be sent to France to follow Gokudera into hiding, once they got word that Gokudera and the two other Vongola _Mafiosi_ had been moved from Sicily.

"I told you last night that the Millefiore have targeted those who have come in contact with the Vongola. Even if I break ties now, they would still come after us, whether we are still allied or not." Dino told him seriously. "Reborn was my tutor and the Ninth's most trusted hit man. And Tsuna... Tsuna was my sworn brother and my friend. As for breaking ties- I will do no such thing, Yamamoto. **_Not_** while I am the Tenth Boss of the Cavallone."

"Dino- _san_..." Yamamoto could only look sadly as Dino fell silent, mourning the deaths of the members of his Family back in Sicily. His subordinate who brought the news of the attack sniffled at his Boss' words and said something muffled which suspiciously sounded like "..._That was beautiful_, Boss!"

"Boss... A word if I may?" Romario walked up to them from the front of the jet.

"What is it, Romario?" Dino asked his Right hand, looking up and quickly putting aside his mourning for later. Instead of his normal temperament, it was replaced by something akin to anger. Hearing about senseless murders and harming innocents always brought about this rarely seen anger in Dino Cavallone. The Mohawk- haired _Mafioso, _when he saw his Boss' expression change, moved a little away. Even Yamamoto could feel the vibes of Dino's wrath coming off from him. He then discreetly inched himself and Enzio away from the Cavallone Boss in his seat as far back as he possibly could.

"Alone if possible, Sir?" Romario said seriously.

"It better be important." Dino told him shortly. Tsuna's murder, Reborn's death had taken a terrible personal toll on him. The massacre of the staff and his subordinates in the Sicily safe house as well as Gokudera's inclusion into the death count added an even heavier burden. Romario knew that he was trying very hard to keep his composure in front of his men. Just for the sake of his men.

"Yes Sir." Romario affirmed. The Cavallone _Mafioso_ with the Mohawk hair moved aside to let Dino pass and retreated to the back of the jet to rejoin a small group of other Cavallone subordinates. Yamamoto was once again left alone with Enzio for company.

"_Damn it_... Gokudera- how could I have left him behind...?" He swore under his breath. Just then his cell phone vibrated, alerting him that an e- mail had arrived. Enzio stretched out his neck to try and get at the dry piece of bread again.

Yamamoto dug his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open. The cell phones were especially built by Giannini in such a way that they did not interfere with airplane communications.

Speaking of Giannini, the message was from him.

Yamamoto opened it and found a copy of blueprints for a Millefiore Strau Mosca unit attached to it.

_'This is for when you enter the forest. There are a lot of them roaming around. Fighting them alone is not a wise idea.'_ He read on the message screen. _'It's best to avoid direct confrontation with them.'_

Yamamoto looked over the drawings, taking note of the key areas encircled on some areas. A strong blow to one of those areas should temporarily knock them out, he decided.

Later, Dino returned, looking slightly calmer.

"Yamamoto," He said, leaning on the empty seat beside the Vongola Guardian of Rain. "I've just gotten the news that Tsuna's coffin will be delivered near the Rain Entrance to the Namimori hideout. It should arrive there by tomorrow."

"Alright. Thank you, Dino- _san_." Yamamoto said, handing him back his sponge- snapping turtle.

"Also- someone from the CEDEF will be going to the same location on the same day. I'm not sure who they sent but we've given them false information about the location as a precaution." Dino took back his pet turtle and tucked it safely in its special pocket in his parka. "Since you'll be transporting Tsuna back anyway, you could go meet them there to confirm their identity before letting them near the hideout."

"Okay. That's fine too." Yamamoto nodded to show he understood. He leaned back on his seat to watch the clouds outside again.

"By the way," Dino added almost conversationally. Yamamoto looked up at him, wondering about the faint trace of optimism in his voice. "I think you'll be glad to hear about this other bit of news I have."

"Hmm?"

"It's Reborn... He's alive."

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 DISCONNECTED**

**CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

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**RESTART TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**(Y/N)?**

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**

**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **And lots of them...

**EDITED 07/19/2008:** Missing details about the other Vongola survivors and converted time corrections.

**[1] Yamamoto's CCC Username: **I lack creativity in naming things... Yamamoto's username... **_010RainingClams_**... Oh-ehm-gee... is so lame... I already explained that all usernames in CCC had the word 'clam' in them because "Vongola" means "clam" in Italian.

**[2] Clam Clan Chat(TM): **Jointly conceptualized by Tsuna, Giannini and Gokudera (Well, mostly Giannini and Gokudera... Tsuna came up with the idea but was pretty useless in its actual development for the most part.) Giannini designed the cell phones and computers to become compatible for the program while Gokudera took charge of most of the coding and other fiddly confusing bits of creating the software. Tsuna's contribution was to just look at the program and see if it was simple enough for an idiot to understand how to use it and if it was easy on the eyes. Gokudera then 'bombed' it with all kinds of worms and viruses to see if it could be hacked. So far it hasn't but it's constantly being upgraded to keep it from being hacked. Conversations can be saved and stored in the Vongola's information archives unless the main administrators of the Vongola database approve the file for deletion.

I didn't put in the 'status' feature of the CCC in the past recorded conversations in yet because, well, if you were in such a hurry and in a life- threatening situation, would you actually bother putting a 'status' like 'happy', 'pissed', 'working', etc.? It's really cute and hilarious when the Vongola _Mafiosi_ actually make use of those statuses; you get things like "Happy as a Clam", "Working like a Horse" and my personal favorite: "_EXTREEEEEEEEEEME!!_" But they sometimes sound too cutesy for 'certain' _Mafiosi's _likings (-ahem-Tsuna-cough-Hibari-ahem-Gokudera-cough) so they don't bother with using the "status" feature. If used in a more serious way, Vongola _Mafiosi _can inform their _capo_ if they're in trouble or injured or whatever... assuming you still have fingers to type out your status...

**[3] Lazy- Ass Creep(TM): **I read somewhere that the VARIA embodied the Seven Deadly Sins. I think it was in the Mangahelpers forum...Belphegor is "Sloth". Well, that makes sense. He's always using the excuse that he's a prince and that he's a genius to explain his behavior.

**[4] Gun and Wire-Trigger Trap(TM): **...No, I don't think of things like this for a living... I could be paid big bucks in the movie special effect industry if this actually works... Inspired by the home made security alarm that Shougo Kawada made in the "Battle Royale" manga? The initial draft of Rewrite 004 had the trap employing fishing line like the one in "Battle Royale". Then I changed it to piano wire: I figured since Strau Moscas a great deal stronger than ordinary humans, piano wire could at least be a match for the machines' freakish strength. As for the guns, I watch too many "Mythbusters" episodes and see them doing the "pull the trigger from a distance" thing one too many times. It's also applied to Lambo's Ten- Year Bazooka in the anime; when he jumps inside it, a string attached to the trigger sets it off. The trap construction time- limit part was influenced by the "MacGyver" TV series they used to air when I was... uh...five (I AM NOT THAT OLD!)? (The guy could invent things on the spot while facing life- and-death situations! How cool was that?). Trying to rig something like a movie special effect is under time pressure is kind of Superman- ish... Ah, well, they're all freakishly weird supermen in KHR! anyway so let's just assume that the guy could do it under time pressure with the materials he has in the future.

**[5] Piano Wire: **It's this one-** _The World's Thinnest Piano Wire_**! XD [**h t t p : / / w w w. phys org . com/news83693485. ht ml**] Piano wire is used for movie special effects. It's also used as an assassin's tool... usually associated with the garrote. It's useful for long range, middle range and close quarters combat. In a close quarters combat, an assassin can wrap the wire around a target's neck and choke them to death. This eliminates noise and gives them a bit of an advantage because of the near invisibility of the weapon if used in the dark. Piano wire is very strong and near invisible in the distance so it's often employed in making special effect in some movies. I'm not sure if they still do that since almost everything is done with computers now.

**[6] ..._Signor_ Gokudera, what are you doing...?: **Gokudera's "I got you." sounds like something he's more likely to say rather than "I understand everything (you said)."Making Gokudera add _"Bouquets to you"_ and making him draw flowers on the balcony doors was a sort of creepy idea... I wondered what had possessed me to write that scene into Rewrite 004... (... _Mukuro_?) It would have gone on longer but I decided to give Yamamoto and Dino's jet ride more priority. My cousin's high school paper once had a section called **_"Blasts and Bouquets"_**. **"Blasts"** was like 'Boo' as in "Blasts to the higher price of cafeteria food, etc." **"Bouquets"** was like 'Hurrah', 'Congrats' or 'Compliments to you' ("Bouquets to the team for winning the tournament" or something like that). I think it sounds better than having Gokudera say "_Yay for you._" (And it sounds weird; inappropriate, even, at the end of all that seriousness of the section of the chapter.)

I don't usually write canon characters interacting with OCs for more than one page (it was worth at least two pages... space filler... Grr... Waste of space...). If there's anybody out there with the name 'Rosemary', I just picked the name at random. I just thought 'Rosemary' would make a nice name for a pretty housemaid. But like Felicio and Mariano (the random Vongola underlings 1 & 2), she's not important (really?). It looks random but it is still part of the story. It's up to you how you want to interpret this scene. Other explanations will come in later chapters (maybe... or you can just check out "La Rottura di Omérta"... -_advertising?-_).

**Setting the Stage: **I titled Rewrite 004 "Setting the Stage" because at this point everything will lead to a tie up with the canon KHR! TYL Arc... and if you seriously want to know what else happened in the safe house, I really recommend you read "La Rottura di Omérta".

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**PREVIEW:**

**Rewrite 005: Orders Are Orders**

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

**Time:** Access denied

**Location:** Access denied

**Note:** Access denied

**Subject of Surveillance: **Access Denied

**System Status:** _Quarantining Millefiore Writer's Block Virus..._

**INITIATING TSUNA- M1 ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM**

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RUNNING SYSTEM ANTIVIRUS TSUNA- M1

SELECTING PROGRAM TASK: FILE CLEANING- RAIN LEVEL

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL SYSTEMS RETURN ONLINE

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**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003 FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION?**

**(Y/N?)**

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For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

GAH! I couldn't sleep because of my neighbors' karaoke party. Who the hell is being butchered?? Or singing like a drunk? (Maybe they are drunk?) ARGHMEYKEETSTOOOOOP!!!


	5. Rewrite 005: Orders are Orders

Rewrite 005?! -gaspomgwtfbbq- I take back what I said in Rewrite 003, **_THIS_** is my fastest update! This also happens to be the easiest chapter I've written so far. Not too complicated so I don't think anyone will be confused...

I watched an entire certain five minutes of a certain KHR! episode over and over and looked at the same scene in the manga just to try to get every detail right for the **MISSION FILE**. This is a mix between the manga and the anime so don't harp on me whether I followed the correct translations. It follows the mostly the anime but the more important dialogue follows the manga. Then I typed everything out while cooking Italian Pasta. Had to stop every now and then to make sure the noodles were _al dente_.

... Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be chased with pitchforks later...? But I don't quite regret writing my story like this so...ha-ha. :P

I'm now introducing a new type of file: the **SURVEILLANCE FILE**. It's a record of events that takes place in a third person perspective and can take place a short period of time before or after and even during the **MISSION FILES**. The **SURVEILLANCE FILE** will cover events that may not focus on the narrator but give just as much info as the **ARCHIVE FILES** and to help piece the story together.

I've got to go to school tomorrow so I can enroll myself for the next semester but I'm not abandoning this story. I've still got a lot of ideas for it to keep going.

...This is amusing... I tried making an abbreviation of my story title: "The Right Rewrite of Right" and came up with "**_T.R.R.o.R._**". It looks and almost sounds like the word 'terror'... I'll be using that to refer to my story from now on instead of typing its full title every time it comes up in my author notes.

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**Disclaimer: **If I did own KHR, and if I had the time, software and money, I would have made this into a graphic novel or an animation. But I don't own anything nor have the time and money so I'll just content myself to writing and posting online.

**Warning:** Swearing, character death, and everything else that makes the mafia world. I've upped the rating from 'T' to 'M' now, since there's something of suicide here.

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**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 005: Orders are Orders **

Written: Thursday, May 15, 2008, 10:14:43 AM

Updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

**Time: **03:56:12 PM

**Location: **Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan.

**Subject of Surveillance: **Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi and Vongola Weapon Tuner/ Mecha Artist Giannini

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

Quick, hurried footsteps pounded on the metal flooring and echoed throughout the corridor. The _katana_ slung on a broad shoulder swung back and forth with its owner's movements as he made his way toward the infirmary.

"_Giannini, where is he?_" Yamamoto Takeshi banged the door open in his hurry. He arrived directly from Sicily; then checked into a hotel. Afterwards, he wandered around the city to throw off his trail spies and assassins from the Millefiore before making his way to the underground Vongola Base through one of its six entrances, the Storm entrance.

"Shh-! Yamamoto- _sama_, not so loud. He's resting right now." Giannini waved his arms and tried to press his finger to his lips at the same time, making him look quite comical.

"Right- _Sorry!_" Yamamoto apologized hurriedly and made his way silently inside the infirmary to sit at the bedside of a dear friend. He looked down at the small figure on the bed, wearing an oxygen mask and a white body suit. His yellow pacifier was enclosed in a clear bubble and rested on his chest.

"Little guy, what happened?" Yamamoto murmured as he watched one of the monitors hooked up to the Arcobaleno beep and display his breathing and heart rate.

"The Cavallone have sent a communications with the coordinates for where they intend to drop off the Boss' coffin." Giannini informed him. "It's a little further away from the Rain entrance."

"That's fine; we can't have the Millefiore finding out about our base. We're badly understaffed as it is." Yamamoto replied as he continued to look over the unconscious figure of Tsuna's former tutor. "Where was he found?" He asked. "And how did he get like this?"

"He was found outside the Sawada residence, Yamamoto- _sama_. His health was failing badly because of the Tre-ni-Sette radiation in the environment. Luckily it was one of Dino- _sama_'s men who picked him up. Apparently Reborn- _sama_'s chameleon, Leon had gone looking for help. He must have had a sort of scent trail of its offspring, Dino- _sama_'s turtle, and managed to locate a subordinate of Dino- _sama_ through it. The man must've had too many experiences with that Enzio for such a scent trail to stay so long on him." Giannini explained in a hurry. [2]

"I see..." Yamamoto said somberly. But then he suddenly shook his head. "Actually, I don't really understand how that worked out." He admitted sheepishly.

"But that's alright." He then smiled down at the Arcobaleno on the bed. "The little guy is home, safe and sound. I'll remember to send Dino- _san_ a 'thank you' note after this."

He looked around for another seemingly missing member of the Family.

"By the way... Where _is_ Leon?" He asked, looking around for Reborn's faithful shape- shifting chameleon.

"He's right here, Yamamoto- _sama_." Giannini held up a green ball- point pen that had been sitting in his breast pocket, stretching his arm out to him as a sign for him to take it. Yamamoto held out his hand, taking note that the pen had a pair of small yellow eyes on one end.

Giannini set it on Yamamoto's open palm and the pen morphed into a very familiar green chameleon and flicked its tongue at him.

"_Arigato_, Leon." He said to it, smiling. "You've done well and brought the little guy home." He stroked its smooth green head, got tickled for a bit by the thin pink tongue that slithered from its mouth.

"I've also received the other details regarding the CEDEF envoy." Giannini announced. Leon had then skittered up Yamamoto's arm and sat on his shoulder as if to listen to the weapon- tuner as well.

"Her name is Lal Mirch. Here is a photo of her."

Giannini handed Yamamoto a picture of a young woman with long, blue-ish hair and a burn scar on the side of her face.

Yamamoto scanned the pretty face, noting that she had angry but sad eyes... [1] He remembered Gokudera had had those eyes when they were in middle school... Or was it during college? Yamamoto couldn't recall anymore... Tsuna had been the one to make those eyes light up. But now he would never see either of them again...

"She's slated to arrive in the area of the Rain entrance at around a little after four o'clock." Giannini handed him a folder containing other details.

"I should be making tracks before I do that." Yamamoto replied, taking the folder.

"Yamamoto- _sama_, did you receive the soft copy of the blueprints of the Strau Mosca I sent you? Do you have any questions about them?" Giannini asked.

"Yes, is it possible to destroy them alone?" Yamamoto asked.

"... No..." Giannini said hesitantly. "But it's possible to stun them..."

"I thought as much." Yamamoto grinned and stood up, picking Leon off his shoulder and setting it beside its master on the bed. "_Sankyuu_." He nodded to Giannini and gave the Arcobaleno on the bed a silent farewell and a promise to visit later. "Well, I'm off!"

"Please be careful." Giannini told him.

With that, Yamamoto turned on his heel and began to make his way toward the Sun entrance. He would return to his hotel to and return to gathering information.

As he walked, he wondered what maneuvers he would have to pull when he would have to once more throw off spies from his trail tomorrow.

Tomorrow he would go to meet with the CEDEF envoy in the forest.

Then, together they would bring Tsuna home.

**TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003 COMPLETE**

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**SURVEILLANCE REPORT 003**

**Time:** 04:17:10 PM

**Location: **Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan.

**Conclusions: **Arcobaleno Reborn, holder of the Yellow Pacifier, discovered alive in Namimori City. Health currently being stabilized in the Vongola Underground base, Namimori City Japan.

Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi, currently deployed to rendezvous with Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia (CEDEF) envoy, Lal Mirch in 18 hours at Rain entrance located in the forest outside of Namimori City. Mission objective is to escort CEDEF envoy and transport the body of Tenth Vongola Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi to the underground base.

**END OF SURVEILLANCE REPORT 003**

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**RESUMING TRANSMISSION OF MISSION FILE 001**

**Time:** 04:13:07 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note: Vongola Guardian Bodyguard Escort **consisting of five Vongola _Mafioso_ and five Cavallone _Mafiosi. _Nine killed in initial confrontation with four Strau Mosca Units. One surviving Cavallone member engaged the three remaining units in a second encounter. One temporarily disabled and two escaped.

Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola _Famiglia_ member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance

**Mission objective changed**

4. Delay Strau Moscas

**Mission objective complete**

**Mission File Status: **_Cannot commence deletion of mission file. _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION ONGOING **

It would appear that they were late... or that I was too early... Either way, it gave me time to catch my breath. I've been keeping time with my head. I still couldn't bring myself to look at my watch.

Nighttime would arrive in a perhaps a couple of hours.

I straightened out my clothes just to give my hands something to do and going over to a shady tree to rest.

I leaned back on the trunk and looked up into its branches. They were thick and blocked the view of the sky, letting light shine through coin- sized spaces between the leaves.

Right now that suited me just fine. I still couldn't bring myself to look at it.

A short distance away from me was a black coffin, with a Vongola Family crest and gold 'X' marking the lid.

I did not approach it but instead silently greeted it with a solemn 'Welcome home' from the distance. I exhaled the breath I didn't know I'd been holding and tried to think of my next move.

When I did so, the memory of the dead Vongola and Cavallone men immediately surfaced in my mind's eye. Immediately, I found myself feeling sick and disgusted with myself again.

Coupled with the knowledge that those who remained in the Cavallone safe house in Sicily had also been killed, it did not make me feel any better about myself.

'_All those people died... Just to keep me alive.'_

'_Why?' _I thought as I took off my jacket and draped it on a particularly large tree root beside me. The two chains attached to my belt loop clinked together when I sat down and leaned against the tree.

"My life isn't of any worth now; none of them deserved it..." I murmured to myself.

I exhaled a long breath and looked up into the leaves blocking my view of the sky.

"Did I make a mistake in staying alive and coming here?" I asked no one in particular aloud. A few milliseconds later, my stomach growled as if to answer the question.

"That **_doesn't_** answer my question." I glared and grumbled down at it.

_'Damn it... Maybe I should have eaten a bigger breakfast.'_ I cursed myself before sighing. "I guess it's better to feel hungry than not feel anything at all... better than being dead..."

But deep down, I couldn't help thinking that I **_would_** probably be better off dead as well. I looked in the direction where I knew the hideout location was. [3]

'_Where could they be...?'_ I absently wondered and tried to suppress a yawn. I hadn't been able to sleep well in the hotel last night... Whether it was because I was afraid of getting killed in my sleep or having nightmares of that time, I just couldn't convince myself to sleep.

The forest heat and fatigue built up over the last two days made it tempting for me to fall asleep... But I'm afraid to try and sleep... Not only because it was an incredibly stupid thing to do in a place where I could get caught by roaming Millefiore squads or Strau Moscas...

It was because I would have to relive that horrible day in my dreams.

I was afraid of never waking up from the dream of that mansion going up in smoke... the smell of death hanging in the air... and the sight and feeling of His blood on my hands.

In that dream, I was beside him as He lay dying. I could see His lips moving, telling me his last words...

But I couldn't hear His voice.

I don't know if it was because I couldn't hear him or if it was I had refused to hear him.

That was only in the dream.

The truth was I could only somehow remember part of what he had told me exactly as he said it. I had even written His words down in a way that only I could understand.

...But the rest...

_I just blanked out._

I couldn't remember the rest of what he said to me that day, what he had wanted me to do.

No matter what I tried I couldn't recall them even though I could recall everything I had seen, heard and smelled.

"But I don't understand all of it." I mumbled under my breath. "What did you mean? What did you say all of that for? It doesn't make sense..."

I sat between the tree roots for probably almost half an hour, mulling over the meaning of the Boss' last words and orders before his death. I mentally repeated the names of _Mafiosi_ whom I knew had been killed in the Vongola hunt... What could have happened if there had been more time? More time to prepare, more time to plan...? This would have never have happened if...

I found myself fingering the knife I'd used to cut the piano wire from earlier... Thinking that it was just so easy... I could just... _use_ it. No noise to alert anyone of my location...

'_You can't do it, you coward.'_

My fingers trembled ever so slightly as turned the blade over, watching the light reflect from it...

'_You can't do it; what would He say?'_

... I was so scared...

_'They did it; why can't you too?'_

_'It's a waste; why are you regretting now?'_

I'm a coward who doesn't deserve to live, aren't I?

_'This is too easy; but you can't do it. It's exactly what **they **want... what's going to happen to Vongola now?'_

Suddenly, a noise like heavy wood on wood being moved met my ears and I sat up alert. The knife was quickly sheathed again and slipped in among my other weapons.

'_Millefiore?! Is there someone trying to loot the Boss' coffin?' _I thought, panicked. I stood up and got my things together. Somehow I had unconsciously straightened my tie, slipped on and buttoned up my jacket with practiced ease as I walked toward the source of the noise.

I sneaked behind some trees to get a closer look at the black coffin and for the second time that day, I could smell flowers.

_Then_ I wondered briefly once more why it smelt like flowers.

Had I somehow wandered back to the place the Vongola and Cavallone _Mafiosi_ had been killed?

Impossible; I had been travelling a straight path. I couldn't have gotten lost... Then I remembered that there was a tradition in Japan that bodies were laid to rest with flowers surrounding them in the coffin.

**_Did that mean that the coffin had been opened? _**

"**_WHO'S THERE?_**" I called out threateningly and approached the place where I heard the sounds. I made it clear that I'm prepared to fight... just in case it's not a friend.

Then I stopped.

There was someone, surrounded by white lilies, sitting inside it.

I felt like someone has tightened a fist around my throat... '_He's come back to haunt me.'_ I thought, staring at the person, thinking of all the people who had been killed while I made my way to this place. I could feel the blood draining from my face as I stepped toward the opened coffin. '_No, that's stupid, you idiot, there must be another reason.'_

An illusion?

'_It looks too real...' _I immediately thought. _'But then again, so are Rokudo Mukuro's kinds of illusions,' _My mind was racing so fast that I couldn't seem to keep up; I couldn't think straight. I tried to sort out everything while I continued to stare at Him.

How do I say this? ...I'm happy to find Him alive...?

Then again... Maybe 'happy' is not the right word... because at the same time I felt like killing myself for finding Him alive... Or maybe that's too extreme... I- I don't know what to think... Maybe I **_had_** actually fallen asleep under the tree. Perhaps I was still dreaming or I'd been walking and running in this forest for too long and my hunger had finally gotten to me...

That's it isn't it? I've finally lost my mind and started hallucinating?

I had definitely recognized the person sitting inside the coffin. Despite the obvious change of clothing and difference in height, I knew that face!

He stared back at me, looking fearfully up at me.

"_You... You are_..." I couldn't move and I could still hardly believe my eyes...

If this is a joke... it's a very cruel one to play on me...

"Erm... wha...?" He finally spoke again. Familiar wide brown eyes blinked and stared back at me in equal disbelief.

'_I can't believe it.' _The painful feeling of guilt returns as I try to find my voice. _'I **want** to believe it...'_

Someone... Please don't tell me I've finally gone mad because of the guilt?

"You are..." I tried to speak again; I couldn't find my voice... I was standing over the person in His place by now. But I could still hardly breathe.

"You couldn't be-" He wondered aloud. "G- Gokudera-?"

My knees and hands all of a sudden went weak when he said my name. The case containing my things slipped from my fingers as I dropped to my knees in front of Him.

Have my guilt and fear finally gotten to me? Have I finally snapped just as Yamamoto had feared?

I ignored the sudden pain in my knees when I dropped to the ground too fast and too hard.

I didn't care if I was hungry... I didn't care if I was tired and sleep- deprived...

I didn't care about any of it now.

I _had_ to make sure I wasn't crazy.

My hands had moved themselves to immediately catch hold of His small shoulders when I had fallen to my knees.

"**_Tenth!!_**" I finally found my voice again but I found I couldn't say anything else. It feels like it's been a while since I'd used my voice. It came out raspier than I thought it would be...

"**_UWAH!_**" He yelped in surprise, staring back at me with those wide brown eyes. I can only imagine what he could possibly be thinking right now... [5]

Meanwhile my hands are telling me that I'm not hallucinating things: He's **_solid_**. He's not an illusion or a ghost.

I was definitely not dreaming this.

He's alive.

He's solid.

He's **_HERE._**

'**_WHY?_**_'_

Out of habit and out of a need to be forgiven, I bowed several times to Him, just as I've always done whenever I've felt I've done something wrong or foolish. (But I no longer hit my head like I used to do in middle school. The Tenth had always worried when I would come up with a bruise or a bleeding forehead... and during the beginning of high school and forbade me from doing it ever again.)

"_I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..._" I told him. But I'm not sure what exactly I'm apologizing for. It seemed that there were so many things I wanted to apologize for, to be forgiven for.

For failing to protect him when he most needed it?

For forgetting the ability to trust people when he died?

For letting so many people die (even when it was beyond my control) while I kept my worthless skin alive to get back to Japan?

For refusing to accept the tasks he had given to me with his dying breath?

...For... For...

I don't know... I don't remember... I **_can't_** remember...

I just wanted Him to forgive me.

"Wha-?! Wait a sec, you're hurting me! _Owowowowow!_" I jumped and immediately let him go. Perhaps I was too relieved to find he wasn't an illusion or a hallucination that I hadn't realized that I was crushing him with my grip.

"...I'm sorry." I found myself saying automatically.

"Uhm, I don't really know what's going on." He looked confused and disoriented... I decided to patiently wait for him to get his bearings.

Waking up in a coffin is probably one of the strangest things that can happen to anyone.

... But then finding somebody you explicitly saw die right in front of you alive is pretty strange and disturbing too...

"It may sound really unbelievable, but I- I was hit by Lambo's Ten Year Bazooka by mistake..." He tried to explain, looking sheepishly up at me, as if hoping I'd believe him.

'_So he's not the Tenth raised from the dead. I guess I **should** believe him. He definitely looks different from the last time I saw him...'_ I thought still feeling almost relieved that I hadn't gone mad... yet. _'He's the Boss from the past. That explains a lot...'_

I looked at him unhappily, feeling almost disappointed.

Perhaps I **_had_** wished that the Tenth of this time had instead come back to life...

"Is that so..." I said, remembering one of the key characteristics of the Bovino Family's Ten- Year Bazooka. I continued to look at him sadly, knowing what was to come ten years in his future, almost three days ago in my past. "Only five minutes then."

How much of a difference would just five minutes make?

Five minutes is too little time for someone from the past to hear everything...

'_Wait_-_ from the past!?' _Suddenly it all somehow made perfect sense to me.

'_The Tenth... did he know about this? Did he plan this?' _I thought quickly. I don't know where or how he could have known all of this enough to plan ahead... I could only guess that it was from his Vongola bloodline's Hyper Intuition. Meanwhile, his younger self was looking up at me in confusion.

I felt like I was being x- rayed by his gaze and felt even more unworthy to stay near him.

'_Boss, please don't look at me like that...' _I shut my eyes tightly for a few seconds; resisting from giving in to the pain that had built up when I realized what I was meant to do...

'_Was this your plan, Boss?' _I thought._ 'Is this how you'll fix everything? You would make your younger self prevent the mistakes that we've committed in this time? You would force yourself to grow up too fast for this?'_

I tried to compose myself yet again.

I do not have the time to mourn the late Boss of this time period... coupled with the fact that the entire forest is very dangerous area to be in right now.

'**_This_**_ Boss doesn't know anything... Not right now at least.'_

I could feel the younger Tenth's eyes watching me.

The one in front of me now doesn't look any older than a middle- schooler, almost the same age when I first met Him and pledged to follow Him with my life.

But I couldn't help but think: '**_Why_**_? It's too harsh, Boss; it's too cruel to do to yourself...'_

I didn't like the idea of telling this younger Boss that he had to do the one of the very things he disliked about the mafia... I didn't want to ask this of him; if I could, I would rather have the blood on _my_ own hands than on an innocent teenage boy's... _If only_... **_if only I knew everything_**_..._

I opened my eyes and resolved myself to follow my Boss' wishes with the best of my capabilities.

'..._and also...'_

**_Orders are orders._**

I would have to make everything as brief and as clear as possible in the short time I knew we had to talk. I have to get him to understand the gravity of the situation before he returned to his proper time: "Listen to me, Tenth. When you return to the past, you must do what I'm about to tell you. Please!" I told him gravely.

"Eh? _Ehh?_" He gaped at me in bewilderment.

I had to stop myself from slapping my forehead. '_What am I **thinking**, talking to him like a mature, full- grown **adult**?'_ I keep forgetting he's still a child in comparison to me now. [4]

I quickly thought about how to simplify my next words in order for him to be able to understand.

The Tenth never specified to say that they were a message from Him so I decided not to tell His younger self that they were His own words. He probably wouldn't be able to comprehend them at **_this_** age.

"I do not have time to properly explain everything to you." I told him.

Then I noticed he still looked confused and slightly afraid so I tried to make my expression a little less serious. I hoped it could put him at ease with me since I'm practically a stranger to him again. (It worked whenever Lambo would randomly be replaced by his bawling five- year old self. I'd found that a combination of looking my less angry and serious and letting him play with Uri was effective in shutting him up until the five minutes were up.)

It seemed to work on the younger Tenth since he's paying more attention to what I'm saying now... and he seems less afraid... _'OK... Pay close attention; don't interrupt me...' _

"When you return to the past, the first thing to do is to erase this man." I told him, taking out of my jacket a picture of young man my age wearing glasses and with orange- colored hair.

I don't know who the man in the photo is. The Boss never gave me a name since He didn't have time to give me the full details either.

"This is a photo of him from the present time but you should have met him when you were in first year." I explained. Then I handed it to him, still hoping he would not interrupt before I could complete the message his older self had asked me to remember.

"_Wh- What!?_" The Boss' younger self exclaimed in surprise and confusion. "_Eh? Who's that...? And, wait, erase!?_"

Somehow I'm not surprised to get this reaction from him.

It was one of the parts of the Boss' last words that I could not quite understand myself.

The Boss never liked the idea of killing and didn't like to think of it as a solution to problems. He didn't change his views toward being a mafia boss as he got older.

He never claimed he liked the job but used his power only for what he believed was good and morally right. He preferred to solve things peacefully, taking forceful action only when it was absolutely necessary and as a last resort.

**_That_** was the kind of person he had grown to become.

'_Why did you want to have this man eliminated?'_ I had wanted to ask. _'Who is he?'_

All I knew from what the Boss of my time had told me was that he was in the Millefiore. I figured that he would have to be a key member of the Millefiore to warrant such an order from the Tenth.

Judging from his behavior and his reaction, this younger Boss doesn't seem to recognize him either.

But still...

**_It had to be done._**

"There is no need to... hesitate." I told him, choosing my words carefully. _'How do you tell a peace- loving child that he has to kill someone to save his future?'_

"_No, but..._" The Boss from the past looks very disturbed by the order.

This looks bad; I have to convince him somehow that it's still necessary.

"_Wait, please wait! _By erase, you mean, kill,_ right!?_"

'_Sharp and straight to the point, Boss, as always... You never changed.'_ I thought, quickly deliberating on what I had to tell him next.

"If it wasn't for people like him, Byakuran wouldn't have gotten so..." I told him seriously.

_Shit_... I didn't realize that anger began to unconsciously build inside me when I said the name of the Millefiore boss.

It must have shown on my face because the younger Boss looked troubled. "Byaku... ran?" The Boss' younger self repeated.

Then He looked down at the coffin he currently sat in.

It must have been too much for him to take in all at once so I decided let it sink in a little before I could continue with the next part of what I needed Him to know.

When I had finally decided that he could start listening again, I had already thought out the rest of what I needed to say: "The next thing is for extra precaution..." I started to tell him in a calmer tone.

This wasn't part of what the Boss originally wanted me to say but if he was to go back to the past, he would need all of them badly if we were to survive in this era when he grows up.

'_Do not, under any circumstances, have the Vongola rings destroyed.' _I wanted to tell him.

But as I feared, he interrupted me again: "Wait... Can I just ask something...? It's just really bothering me..." He looked up at me again: "Why is my future self lying in here?"

I felt like my chest was being stabbed repeatedly when I heard His question... more painful than getting shot with a gun...

I stared at him. He had completely caught me off guard and thrown off everything I needed to tell him from my mind.

"Why am I lying in a coffin ten years in the future?" He asked again, giving me a nervous smile.

I didn't answer and kept staring at him, still in shock at his question.

'**_Why...?_**_ Why did he have to ask me that?' _My shock faded into yet another painful clenching feeling in my chest.

I had honestly hoped that he wouldn't ask, that he would return to the past before he could think of asking it... Thinking back to that moment, maybe I should have left the question unanswered and continued giving Him the rest of His message.

He looked at me expectantly... and _hopefully_...? I don't know if I can recognize what hope looks like right now. Not anymore...

Meanwhile, I debated with myself whether to answer or not.

'_He's still just a kid... I **can't**...' _I couldn't bear to tell him the truth. But I couldn't bring myself to lie to him. '_He's the **Boss**_...'

'_How do I tell him?_

'_How **can** I tell him...?'_

"Why is my... future self... inside a coffin?" The Boss asked as looked at me, encouraging me to answer his question.

Was he trying to tell me it was alright? Would he forgive me if I told him the truth? Could I tell him that I had failed him... that I had committed so many mistakes and countless others have died because I did... and because so many things went wrong when he died?

I tried to breathe and once again, forced myself to speak.

"... T- That's because..." I started to say when all of a sudden,

**_BOOM! _**

Pink smoke clouds suddenly blocked my view of the Tenth and I found myself floating.

'_What is this? What the Hell is going on?'_

I can't tell if I'm moving forward or backward wherever I'm going...

But I am sure of one thing: I am no longer with the younger Tenth...

'_SHIT, NO! This cannot be happening!' _

No_, s_top it- Calm down, you.

'_Where have I seen that pink smoke before?'_

'_The... The Ten- Year Bazooka?! Had I been hit by the Ten- Year Bazooka?! **How** and **why** the Hell?!' _I mentally cursed my younger self for being foolish enough to get hit by the Ten- Year Bazooka. (Ever since that 'Upgrade' fiasco by the then amateur Giannini in middle school, I had sworn to never get hit by the Ten- Year Bazooka ever again.)

'_And yet here I am... Wherever '**here'** is...'_

Wherever or whatever the Hell this place is, it's a weird tunnel- like space, almost psychedelic purple.

'_Ugh... I feel like getting sick again... But for an entirely different reason...' _I wondered when I'm going to stop moving or floating or whatever I'm doing. The entire place (or is it just my head?) just keeps spinning endlessly.

Then all of a sudden I've stopped.

I blinked.

I've finally stopped moving... Or floating rather... That must mean I've arrived to wherever I had been ten years in the past.

The pink clouds that the Bazooka usually made when it was used slowly dispersed and cleared.

Finally I was able to get a good look at my surroundings. I was still kneeling but on a pavement instead of the forest floor. The bright late afternoon sun was shining and there were several houses in the surrounding area.

I wasn't in the forest outside Namimori City anymore. But from the look of things I was still in Japan...

I sighed in relief, thankful I hadn't been blasted into the middle of mafia battle... Or in the middle of a class for that matter...

'_That would have been very awkward to explain.'_ I found myself thinking as I stood up from the pavement and dusted myself off.

Looking around, this is a very familiar place to me.

That's very obviously the Tenth's house from ten years ago in front of me, if I'm not mistaken. I figured my younger self was on the way to see the Tenth just before we were swapped in our respective time frames.

I then looked around for any sign of the little brat always responsible for firing (or misfiring) the Ten- Year Bazooka.

I knew I wouldn't get any answers from him (not that his teenaged version was any better) but it seemed very strange that I didn't have the bawling five- year old Lambo for company right now.

The only scenario I could think of was that my younger self somehow had gotten into another fight with the five- year old **_outside_** the Tenth's house and got hit by accident for some reason or another.

**_Why else_** would I get blasted by the Ten- Year Bazooka, if not by accident? The obvious absence of said bawling five- year old was very suspicious to me.

Now that I thought of that, perhaps the body of the Tenth of my time might be here as well. [7]

**_SHIT._**

If that was so then I would have to find it before the five minutes are up.

Even if for five minutes, who knows what could happen within that short span of time?

Problem was... **_Where_** could he possibly be in **_this_** time frame? '_Think, Hayato... what did the Tenth say he was doing when you last saw him?'_

I came up with a blank... I have **_NO_** idea.

He didn't tell me and I was too busy trying to give him His own message that I didn't think of anything else.

From what I could remember, the younger Tenth had been kneeling inside the coffin dressed in casual clothes so I assumed he didn't have classes today.

He had his feet tucked in under him; I didn't see his feet so I couldn't tell if he was inside the house or outside when he had been hit by the Ten- Year Bazooka.

But the way he was sitting looked like he was pretty comfortable... So he might not have been wearing shoes at the time. **_That_** said, I decided that he was indoors at the time of the switch.

The fact that he said he was hit by Lambo's Bazooka by accident would mean that Lambo was nearby. It narrowed down the possible areas where the Tenth could have been indoors since Lambo usually stayed in the Tenth's house...

I then wondered a little how the Boss would be able to walk around the forest (but I sincerely hoped he wouldn't). I also hoped my younger self would have the sense to keep themselves in that area.

That spot was the easiest area to be able to be picked up by either Yamamoto or the CEDEF envoy...

Speaking of CEDEF...

_'Who did they send? Basil? I hope they sent Basil'_; the Tenth and I knew him personally so an issue of trust wouldn't be raised and they could easily get to safety quicker.

Though it might be better if it was his father who picked them up... But as far as I knew, he and his wife were on a holiday in Italy in my proper time...

I looked up at the second floor of the house, to the window which I knew belonged to the Tenth's bedroom.

Supposing the Tenth was indoors, I assumed he was in his bedroom. It almost always seemed to be the venue for a Ten- Year Bazooka firing when Lambo was still a little brat.

If the younger Tenth had been swapped in his room then the Tenth's adult body should have taken his place in it.

But...

But if He was in there, there was no telling whether somebody in the house had already seen Him.

I'm not discounting the possibility that the five- year old Lambo might have seen it by now.

Knowing his mentality at five years old, despite being a hit man (I doubt he managed to kill anybody yet at that age), he would probably think that a dead body was a sleeping person. I hoped he wouldn't do anything disrespectful to it like... like doodling with a permanent marker or something else just as childish as he was likely to do.

What if it had been Reborn- _san_ who had found it?

Reborn- _san_ is a professional hit man and had probably seen more than enough of his share of dead bodies.

I silently wished that it would be Reborn-_ san_ instead of Lambo who would find the Tenth's body... if it was in there.

'..._But what if...'_

What if it had been the Tenth's mother who found her son's dead adult body?

I suddenly froze up at the thought. '_Oh, please no_-_ please, not Okaasama! Please don't let her find the Tenth!' _I thought worriedly.

With that thought, I decided that I had to somehow get inside the house and look for my Boss' body before anybody else could see it.

But I can't just walk up to the door and expect to be let in; I'm not my teenaged self_. _

How does one go about explaining to his Boss' mother that you're her son's Right hand from the future and that you have to retrieve her son's dead body from his room?

I don't think there has ever been such a case and I've only got perhaps four minutes left before I go back to my time.

Perhaps I should wait out the rest of the time by finding Reborn- _san_ and give him the rest of the Tenth's message so he could act on it in this time period?

But where could I find Reborn- _san_ at this time?

My best bet is still the inside of the Tenth's house.

"Screwed no matter what I do." I muttered under my breath. Then I reluctantly peered into the front yard, wondering where everyone was.

I don't see or hear the Lambo and I-Pin playing or bickering or _Okaasama_ hanging the laundry out to dry or whatever house chore she was usually busy with at this time of the day. I don't even see Fuuta. He might not be in the house since he was moving around every other time and may not even be in the house.

It must be nearing five minutes by now... Shit... I have to do something now!

Then for apparently no reason, I suddenly sneezed. [6]

...I have **_NO_** idea why...

I have a feeling that my younger self is cursing me somewhere in that forest in the future... If that was so then the younger Tenth still had some semblance of protection for the next four minutes... assuming that my younger self had the common sense not to panic... or fall depressed...

"Bless you." I heard someone say from behind me.

I saw a pair of arms reach from behind me and move as if to cover my eyes. I reacted immediately and twisted around to confront the person.

"_What?_" I blinked, flabbergasted to see nobody standing there.

Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and I had saw out of the corner of my eye a teasing smile. My whole body suddenly seized as a sharp pain shot through me.

...Nothing in the world could have prepared me for it...

'_NO!'_ I thought for a moment that it was an illusion but the throbbing pain in my body is telling me that this is very real.

"-_Aaah_..._!_" I've couldn't even utter a complete sentence and crumpled on the pavement.

Although my eyes are nearly shut from the pain, I could see the person standing over me.

The sunlight cast a silhouette so I couldn't see them clearly anymore.

But whoever it was having a mad giggle as they knelt to touch my face. I grit my teeth to keep myself from screaming with pain.

The last coherent thought I had before I lost consciousness was: _'Tenth... **help**...'_

* * *

**Time:** 04:17:10 PM

**Location:** Forest on the outskirts of Namimori City. Exact coordinates deleted.

**Note: Vongola Guardian Bodyguard Escort **consisting of five Vongola _Mafioso_ and five Cavallone _Mafioso. _Nine killed in initial confrontation with four Strau Mosca Units. One surviving Cavallone member engaged the three remaining units in a second encounter. One temporarily disabled and two escaped.

Mission file to be deleted after completion of mission.

**Mission Objective: **Tactical retreat

1. Vongola _Famiglia_ member killed by car accident. Time of death: 01:45:40 PM.

**Mission objective completed.**

2. Rendezvous with Vongola allies

**Mission objective incomplete.**

3. Transport Vongola guardian alive and safely to Vongola hideout 'Rain' entrance

**Mission objective changed.**

4. Delay Strau Moscas

**Mission objective complete.**

**Mission File Status: **_Commencing deletion of Mission File 001 _

**Mission Status:**

**MISSION FAILED **

**DELETION OF MISSION FILE 001 COMPLETE**

**

* * *

**

**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **When Gokudera wakes up, he finds he's being held hostage by operatives from the (still unknown) Millefiore family. For some reason or another there's a time machine and they go through all sorts of crazy whacked- out maneuvers just to get back to the future. **_THE END._**

Uhh... That's... That's kind of outlandish, even for me... But don't worry; I won't be using that idea. I doubt my capabilities to write something that crazy... or maybe I can... _mwehehehehe..._

This chapter and the previous one seem a lot 'tamer' than the first three... but was kind of brain- wracking for me... It's hard to think rapid- fire like Gokudera. Well, we can't have too many action- packed chapters; it'll give me a headache.

Yey, lots of you got it right (although I wasn't really running a guessing game with this story; but I found it personally entertaining, so I just let it go...): My narrator is **_Gokudera Hayato_** (ten years later/adult version)!

**The End?: **I originally planned to end the story at the point where Tsuna met the adult Gokudera and leave it at that since my summer vacation would be ending soon. I might not actually be able to update as often as I'd like. But it seems some (if not a lot) people really supported my plot idea so I'll continue it. I'm having a lot of fun writing this actually.

**IRONY!: _BTW_**, **_I have a question_... **Did anybody notice this line from Rewrite 01?: "**I am tempted to smile at the irony of my 'death'**." It just _explicitly_ says the narrator is Gokudera. I mean, wouldn't it be ironic if **_Gokudera_**, of all the people in KHR!, **_died_** from an **_explosive_**? I completely missed it when I edited Rewrite 01 the first time to remove too obvious clues and saw it only after posting it online. But I decided to leave it as is. I just wonder if anybody else noticed this line... If you didn't, I'll bet you'll be going back to the first chapter to look for it. ;P It's also "**_irony_**" because Gokudera's real mother died in a 'car- crash' that was 'made to look like suicide'. Wouldn't that just suck really if Gokudera himself went the same way?

**Why the title "The Right Rewrite of Right"? out of all the possibly better sounding titles out there...?: **I thought the story title could straightaway name Gokudera as the protagonist/antihero; it's a** _LAME_** and **_RIDICULOUSLY TACKY _**choice of a name and _reeks_ of Gokudera's ego...**"The Right Rewrite of Right"** could very well have been the "The _Gokudera_ Rewrite of Right" (or "The Right Rewrite of Gokudera" for that matter) since he's always referring to himself as the "**_Right_** Hand Man." Wait... That doesn't make sense... (How lame... I think I already written somewhere along the way that I have a bad/lame naming sense... But I guess that's fine; Gokudera's got a pretty lame naming sense too ("Uri" when the thing doesn't even act sweet in the canon; "Flame Arrow" for a weapon that looks like a mini- **_cannon_**... )... It makes things easier for me to (try to) keep him in character...)

**Why Write This Story?: **As I've mentioned at the beginning of Rewrite 01, I started thinking of part of the plot after seeing a certain page in the manga. That page came from the chapter showing the scenes from _after_ Tsuna met the future version of Gokudera (it's not the page that first showed adult Gokudera, sorry). But the scenes showing Tsuna with the adult Gokudera sparked a lot of questions that the manga didn't answer for me. The fact that Tsuna's coffin was **_in a forest_** instead of inside the underground base seemed really weird to me and the fact that the adult Gokudera just so **_happened_** to be conveniently at the scene when Tsuna arrived is too suspicious. What was he doing there anyway and why does he have that G- script message that just so **_conveniently_** tells Tsuna and co. what to do? There's something fishy right there, people!! But that's not the complete reason why I wrote this story; I've still got to expound on the things I was wondering about in that certain manga page...

**Where's Uri and Sistema C.A.I.?: **His weapon in that time period is the Sistema C.A.I., so why wasn't he carrying it with him? As far as we know, he only had the Flame Arrow box with him but then he lost that too when he was switched with his younger self. In the manga, the teenaged Gokudera received a backpack containing the boxes belonging to his adult self. The adult version probably only has dynamite sticks on him (assuming he still keeps impossibly large numbers of them on his person). I felt kind of sorry for the guy for loosing his weapons and being stuck in the past so I gave him new ones (see Rewrite 02). Let's see if he's still smart enough to come up with something just in case he runs into more trouble... which seems like it came quicker than expected...

**Why is the Box Weapon Kitten Named 'Uri'?: **Teenaged Gokudera named the box kitten 'Uri' so why does the adult version also call it 'Uri'? I'll try to explain it somewhere in the future chapters but for now, let's say he and his younger version think alike! Future Bianchi once said it too: "If it's you, you should be able to figure out what the future Hayato was thinking." It appears that nobody else in that time period can understand how the adult Gokudera thinks except... well, Gokudera himself. It kind of gave me the impression that adult Gokudera is the kind of person who seems to use his noggin' a lot more in contrast to his teenaged version.

**[1] Lal Mirch is Pretty: **What? I think she is... she's just got that 'iron-bitch' personality and it probably shows in the photographs.

**[2] Leon!: **We need some Leon- love here! The little lizard does so much and is so under- appreciated in KHR! Tsuna's the only one whom I've seen who actually says thank you to Leon (before the Sky Battle and before the Millefiore Base Raid). Uh... I have really now idea how Reborn managed to get into the underground base or who found him. I just came up with something outlandish and at the same time something that Yamamoto can take unblinkingly. Anything bizarre but weirdly makes sense is acceptable in the world of KHR!

**[3] Hungry and Selective Memory Loss?: **He only had a tuna sandwich that morning!(Reference to Tsuna not intended) He also didn't eat while at the Cavallone Safe House, if you still remember. The teenaged Gokudera was eating Yatsuhashi with Tsuna in the beginning of the Future Arc just a few minutes after being transported into that time period. I figured it would make sense if the adult Gokudera would be feeling hungry too at the same time. As for selective memory loss: Sometimes when something really bad happens, you unintentionally block out or forget events that happened to you. In a sense you modify your memory so that you don't remember the bits that hurt you the most. This is so it protects your Freudian ego and helps you cope with the trauma. This might explain why Gokudera doesn't remember everything Tsuna told him before he died no matter how hard he tries. We already know that he wrote down a part of what Tsuna told him: the G- script message. That message was more prioritized so Gokudera couldn't forget it. But what was the other thing Tsuna told him to do that he didn't want to follow?

**[4] How To Talk to a Kid 101: **...Ow... writing the entire conversation between Tsuna and adult Gokudera was kind of a pain... Even though it should have been easy since all I have to do was copy the text from the manga. Somehow I've managed to inject some persuasion psychology into that scene. The regular time Gokudera probably would have delivered his piece in a hurry without giving Tsuna time to think things over. But I noticed that adult Gokudera was telling his message in a rather delicate manner instead of brashly and hurried like his teenage self is more likely to do. So I figured he must be taking into consideration that Tsuna is still younger than him and still thinks almost like a kid so he wouldn't understand 'adult talk'. This is what probably gave Tsuna the idea that Gokudera is '**_mature_**' ten years in the future. Or I'm probably reading too much into it... But I liked the pacing that actual dialogue was done in the anime... Most emotional (?) but business- like five minutes I've ever seen in a KHR anime episode... **_Wow... _**Hayato is an **_ADULT _**now... XD (_Really?_)

**[5] What's Tsuna Thinking?: **TYL Gokudera probably thinks his Boss is one of those '**_great,_** **_deep_** **_thinker_**' figures... Well, he did when he was a teenager. Since the manga focuses on Tsuna, we can actually read what he was thinking when he saw the TYL Gokudera: "It is really the future Gokudera- _kun_! Whoa, he's grown so tall!!" Wow... a great, deep thinker indeed... Tsuna apparently possesses the uncanny ability to make Gokudera ponder the meaning of life itself...

**[6] Sneezing: **I think you've already heard of this old wives' tale that if you sneeze for no apparent reason, someone is thinking ill of you. Around this time, Gokudera's already cursing his older self. (Give 'your(adult)self' a break, kid, 'you're' depressed enough as it is!) But that's long after five minutes has passed. Since TYL Gokudera **_hasn't_** been looking at his watch, he's miscalculated how much time has passed and he still hasn't realized five minutes had already been used up before he fell unconscious. (_Bwahahahaha!!!_)

**[7] Dead Bodies Don't Appear After You Get Hit By the Ten- Year Bazooka:** I'm assuming that TYL Gokudera's never heard of a scenario where you hit a person who is alive now but is dead in the future. In the canon, Tsuna didn't tell him about Reborn disappearing. He wouldn't be able to figure that Tsuna's body shouldn't be anywhere in the present unless he knew about Reborn disappearing after getting hit.

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**PREVIEW**

**Rewrite 006: The Flickering of Flame**

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 02:00:45 PM

**Location:** A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 1st floor, West Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Maintain neutral status of negotiations.

**Archive File Summary:** Negotiations with Millefiore Famiglia. Protect Vongola envoy.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 05.86342375 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

_'What the Hell happened here?' _Yamamoto thought, lowering his sword slightly as he stared at the sight before men who had been posted on this floor were lying in the corridor, blood staining the expensive emerald green carpet and making large, growing puddles. Some of the men were barely alive but choking in their own blood. Others were crying as they cradled their fallen friends unmindful of their own serious injuries. None of them looked like they would live long.

_'This is not a fair fight or a fair anything.' _He tried to breathe as he started to tremble. _'This is a fucking massacre.'_

"Sir!" One of the injured men tried to get up when he caught sight of him.

"Stay down. What happened here?" Yamamoto tried to keep his voice calm.

"Trap... It's a... tr- trap... The- The... B- buggh..." He tried to fight back the blood climbing up his throat.

_'What?' _Yamamoto thought thunderstruck. _'Trap?'_

"The Boss- they're here to- kill the Boss... They're making... their way- up- _please..._"

"They-?" Yamamoto wanted to press the man for a clearer idea who 'they' were when he suddenly choked and threw up his blood all over him.

The Vongola Guardian froze, horror- struck, as the man died on him. That was all it took for him to start sprinting toward the other wing of the mansion, jumping over the dead and dying just to get to the office on the third floor and warn Tsuna and Gokudera of the danger they were in.

_'Shit- I'm still a few corridors away.' _He thought, trying to quell his panic. _'Why the Hell is this place built like a fucking labyrinth?! Tsuna- Gokudera-! Please wait! Please stay alive!'_

Suddenly a gunshot rang out.

**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION? **

**(Y/N?)**

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For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

Somehow, I find the title for then next chapter kind of sad... _Mmm_... The pasta I was cooking while writing turned out perfect, thank you very much. _Yum yum!_


	6. Rewrite 006: The Flickering of Flame

Since the site only allows two genres for every story, I couldn't put in the story properties that "T.R.R.o.R." covers several genres 8P: Drama/Adventure/Humor/Crime/Suspense/Angst/Sci-Fi/Mystery/Supernatural (and maybe a dash of "Romance", although I have yet to get a hang of writing for that). _Wao_... I can't make up my mind...  
After the next few chapters, expect more humor parts in it. (But I hope I actually get around to writing the humor parts into those chapters.)

Now, my excuses for failure to keep with personal deadlines:

**1)** My dad then later took my laptop with him to have it fixed (something wrong with the Wi-Fi). The last time it had a system upgrade, the technician had somehow deleted my Wi-Fi driver so I couldn't connect my laptop to the Internet. Grr... I did most of my writing and save my files on my laptop since I hate working on the family desktop computer.

**2)** I was writing three "T.R.R.o.R." chapters at the same time (since they were somewhat tied together at some point). Darn it... Why is it that I can I read faster than I write and type? I would have probably been at Rewrite 015 if I could type faster than I do now...

**3)** Then I went to our home province to see my grandparents (for the second time that summer). No DSL there so I couldn't upload stuff as fast as I would have wanted to. But my grandparents are more important than Internet!

**4)** I've also started a series of one- shots that will mostly (if not all) be related to this story. Its full title is **"The Right Rewrite of Right: The Declassified Files"**. The KHR! Database has it labeled as **"T.R.R.o.R.: The Declassified Files"** since there's a limit to the number of characters allowed to use for the title. I'll be referring to it as **"T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified"** in my posts for short. I'd really appreciate it if you guys checked it out too! It'll help in giving more background for some of the events that have already taken place in past chapters of "T.R.R.o.R." as well as other miscellaneous things relating to the characters. Thank you to those who already read and reviewed the pilot one- shot! I didn't realize the power of the kitten- Uri factor until I read them. Apparently cuteness and lovability is a charm and a superpower in Sistema C.A.I.'s arsenal! I didn't originally conceptualize that one- shot to be something 'cute and sweet' (actually I found it rather weird and hilarious because of the cockroach thing). So there went Yamamoto with his near simple way of looking at things in life. (He's just really convenient to use if you want Gokudera to look hilarious... or maniacal for that matter...).

I **_did_** find Yamamoto's analogy of Gokudera in "T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified" quite fitting for his role in "T.R.R.o.R.": You think he was killed in the safe house when it was attacked but he got away and managed to meet with Tsuna in time. (How he did that will be explained in a later chapter, but right now... **_You rock, Cockroach!_** _I mean..._ _Uhh..._ never mind...)

Also, I watched again the episode where the adult Gokudera met with Tsuna.

I can't help but think that the guy looks like he's lacking sleep (because of those little lines under his eyes... Are those eye bags or is that just really how the _mangaka _does shading and rendering for the adult Gokudera? The younger Gokudera's eyes don't have those lines under them... except for when he's looking agitated or something...)

Oh, well... let's have another chapter composed of flashbacks. (Hope you're not sick of them yet.)

You know your missions, my good hit men! Read and review! XD

**07/11/2008: **I re- uploaded this chapter because I just realized that there were some missing parts in it... I **_had_** been wondering why Tsuna and Gokudera's little heart- to- heart was missing. Turns out I uploaded the wrong draft by mistake. **_I'm so sorry!_** I also edited some grammar/parts in the one- shots.

BTW, if you're interested in rereading them then by all means do so. I make a lot of references to my one- shots in this chapter.

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**Disclaimer: **Oh yeah, I don't own the awesome characters or the story of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! _Dammit!_

**Warning: **Descriptions of killing, violence, blood, a character death. Start pouring buckets (of water...) It will get messy... and a sad but adorable little kitty... errr, box. Need I say more?

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**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 006: The Flickering of Flame**

Written: Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 09:21:51 AM

Edited: Thursday, July 03, 2008, 07:02:03 PM

Updated: Monday, September 29, 2008, 08:47:50 PM

Re- updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 02:30:45 PM

**Location:** A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 1st floor, West Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Maintain neutral status of negotiations.

**Archive File Summary:** Negotiations with Millefiore Famiglia. Protect Vongola envoy.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 25.86342375 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

In the end, Tsuna was the one who managed to catch Uri; much to both of Gokudera and Yamamoto's embarrassment (especially Gokudera's).

The chase had gone on for at least ten minutes so Tsuna's original plan of leaving earlier than scheduled was effectively thrown out the window.

Uri had raced past Tsuna's legs and he just bent down in time to catch hold of it by its middle. The animal box weapon mewled in protest at him, wiggling to try and get free. When _that_ didn't work, it instead opted to stare wide- eyed at him, meowing pitifully. To the three men, it was obvious Uri was just acting cute to get Tsuna on its side to get out of being scolded by its Master again.

Then to their surprise (and Gokudera's horror) it suddenly unleashed a flurry of claws and teeth on Tsuna's custom- tailored clothes.

Gokudera was predictably livid.

Yamamoto couldn't decide whether to laugh or help him pry the little animal box weapon off their friend. But he took pity on him (again) and finally decided to help him (again).

They succeeded at getting Uri off Tsuna after at least five minutes of pain and struggle.

Once they had gotten it off Tsuna, Gokudera held Uri at arm's length from himself (again) by the scruff of its neck and gave it a stern lecture.

(The box weapon meowed and looked repentant... How was that even possible? Yamamoto couldn't figure that out. He also wondered if that was how Gokudera planned to discipline his own kids... if he ever planned to have any... On second thought... **_Nah_**_..._ No way... Gokudera was too focused on his job as Tsuna's Right hand. He would probably stay a bachelor forever... like Romario... That guy was how old now (?) and still at Dino's beck and call... Nope. Nope. Gokudera probably would never find a woman who could be perfectly okay with him staying at Tsuna's side every single day of his life and not get jealous. Yamamoto thought of that day last week in the Guardians' private lounge: Gokudera had come back from wandering around town in a good mood and was practically talking like a man in love... but then **_that_** ended in a terrible disappointment... Ryohei had wanted to **_throttle_** Gokudera after that outrageous episode. Yamamoto had wanted to hit him with the bottom of his _katana's_ handle for giving him false hopes). [1]

Strangely enough, Uri had scratched and chewed Tsuna's shirt, neck tie and coat badly enough to turn them into shreds but didn't actually injure Tsuna himself.

Gokudera had gone off on yet another scolding rant and while trying to apologize to his Boss at the same time. He also tried to force Uri back inside its box while very highly amused Yamamoto watched.

Tsuna couldn't decide whether to be in shock or try to get his Right hand to desist from raising his potential to have high blood pressure.

Thankfully he opted for the latter. (Gokudera was already well in danger of attaining a short life expectancy. Yamamoto knew for a fact that there were bets going on behind Gokudera's back regarding how long he could stay as a perfectly functioning member of Tsuna's Family.)

Since Uri's mischief had foiled the plan to leave early, they ended up following their original schedule.

All Tsuna had to do was change his clothes before they could leave.

Yamamoto had volunteered to debrief the security outfit himself. This small crew of _Mafiosi _would be deployed to accompany them to the venue for negotiations. Half of them were under Yamamoto's supervision so he thought it would be alright if he went himself while Tsuna went to get changed (and alleviate some of Gokudera's regular workload). Gokudera didn't thank him (but that was normal anyway) and went to accompany Tsuna (also normal) while trying to wrestle his kitten back inside its box (which was **_not_** normal).

Gokudera had been grumbling that Uri was acting very strange when Yamamoto took his leave.

Yamamoto felt that he had to agree.

Uri was usually well behaved when Tsuna was around its master. The little animal box weapon did not usually pull any physically damaging mischief (Well, it did when it had been newly acquired. But Gokudera had somehow managed to tame it and get it to behave... to some extent... But they could never quite work out how he did it). As a matter of fact, it now only made mischief if it was hungry or if it wanted attention from its master (someone to play with, a scratch behind the ears or to curl up in his arms or on his lap)... mostly the latter. Uri was **_that_** devoted to its master.

But Yamamoto just couldn't figure out what had been making Uri act with such disruptive **_AND _**destructive behavior **_now_**. Heck, he wasn't **_that _**much of an expert on box weapons himself. He wasn't even sure if box animals actually had thought processes like real animals. But it might be true in the case of Gokudera's cat... or kitten rather...

It acted **_too much_** like a real animal sometimes.

When Yamamoto left Tsuna's office, Uri was clawing and chewing at Gokudera's leg like a dog; having a tug- of- war battle with its master over his pant leg.

Yamamoto wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but Uri looked like it was trying to drag Gokudera toward his office (the adjoining room beside Tsuna's). [2]

From the looks of it, it wouldn't be only Tsuna who would need a change of clothes while he was gone.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 DISCONNECTED**

**CHECKING CONNECTION SETTINGS**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003? (Y/N)?**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

**Time:** 02:35:46 PM

**Location: **A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 3rd floor, South Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Maintain neutral status of negotiations.

**Archive File Summary:** Negotiations with Millefiore Famiglia. Protect Vongola envoy.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 46.33233675 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

The Tenth looked from one necktie to another, trying to decide between the orange one with wide yellow stripes and a blue silk one that looked like it had been bleached to produce speckles of white.

"Gokudera- _kun_, have you found anything out about the hacking attempt the other week?" The Boss asked me as he picked out a tie to replace the one Uri had clawed and chewed to shreds a few moments ago. I frowned and tried to recall what I had found out so far the last time I checked it (two hours ago... I had Uri activated at that time but wasn't important).

"It seems that nothing had been downloaded or tampered with on the surface, Boss. I checked for any viruses or worms and I managed to seal off access to other Vongola bases in time. Whoever it was looked like they were just looking into the security camera systems." _'But it's a strange thing to look at,'_ I thought. _'Why would anyone be interested in looking in the security cameras?'_ "I'm still running a scanning operation to double- check and see if I can come up with a trace on who the hackers are and what else they could have accessed." I continued to report.

It felt fishy and I couldn't help but feel that there was something seriously wrong. It would be a little more than an hour before I see what my security scanning software could manage to find in the entire Vongola database. It took that long because it covered scanning every single part of the system.

The Vongola database was very expansive so I didn't know what other areas could have been targeted then.

I planned to look at the scans' results when we returned from the negotiations. Hopefully, whatever it found could pinpoint exactly what was going on and who was responsible.

But I got the nagging feeling that I should look at it soon.

I looked at my watch and saw that if we leave in less than ten minutes, we should be able to arrive at the venue for the negotiations on time (assuming there were no other delays).

"Boss, we need to leave in less than ten minutes if we want to make it on time." I informed him. As his Right hand man, it's my job to make sure the little things run smoothly for the Boss and that includes making sure he stays on schedule...

"Alright, alright..." The Tenth held up the two ties as if asking me to choose between them.

I stared at them, unsure of what to make of them when paired his pinstriped suit. [3]

'_Err... How do I say this...? Both look rather... garish...'_ I thought. I didn't say it aloud though. I didn't want to offend the Tenth since both were birthday gifts to him, one from Sasagawa and one from his mother. I knew both women were important to him so saying neither of the two neck ties were appropriate was almost like insulting both of them and the Tenth (although indirectly).

'_But I wouldn't have minded wearing those if I was a teenager but as an adult, I don't want to be caught dead with either a tie that looks like it belongs on a school uniform or one that looks like the topside of a whale shark _[4] _while in a **mafia negotiation**. We might not be taken seriously... Please pick something that can look a little more appropriate and business- like, Boss. Don't make me choose between the two... neckties...'_

On closer observation, the Tenth looked like he was having second thoughts over both choices.

"Tenth, do you really want my honest opinion?" I answered sheepishly, unable to make up my mind about either of the two and decided to take a gamble in convincing him to make another selection.

"Hmm... You don't like them either. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so." The Tenth stuffed them back inside his dresser. "Why don't _you _pick one out for me, Gokudera- _kun_?"

"Eh?" I stared at him. _'Is this a Right- hand's job too?'_ "Me?" I blurted in surprise.

"Well, you always seem to carry your suits a little better I actually do, so I thought you might know what's best." The Tenth laughed, albeit embarrassedly.

...Okay... Boss just complimented my dress sense... I don't quite know how to respond to that.

"...That's... Uhm... Thanks, Boss..." I stammered out. Oh well... the 'Right hand' is also defined in the dictionary as 'the efficient, indispensible assistant'.

Therefore, I have to '**_assist_**' the Tenth.

I went over and picked out a black- gray tie sitting in a corner of the bed where the Tenth had laid out some of his things. "What about this one, Boss?"

The Tenth smiled gratefully, seemingly pleased with my choice. "Ah, that's from Yamamoto."

I thought I felt a rock drop on to my head when I heard this. _'From **HIM**?' _I couldn't quite believe that I picked it out myself and then added an afterthought:_ 'What's up with all these people giving him neck ties for his birthday? He got... what...? Ten of them this year!' _(I had put on a fireworks-slash-magic show for his birthday; see the thought, time and effort made there?! I definitely got points for creativity then!) [5]

He reached out and took it before I could change my mind and get another one (because I refuse to let something that came from Yamamoto be paired with the Tenth's suit for a delicate affair such as mafia negotiations! I know I'm being ridiculous and illogical again... I never could quite quit the whole rivalry thing with Yamamoto even after nearly ten years).

"So," The Tenth grinned proudly once he finished putting on the tie. (At least he knows how to put them on faster now.) "What do you think?"

"It's good, Boss." I told him, perfectly concealing my contempt for the tie from Yamamoto. But, since the Tenth looked satisfied, I guess I'm in no position to complain now. However, I made a mental note to myself to know which neck ties were from Yamamoto (so I could have them intercepted and incinerated by the housekeeping staff in charge of the laundry).

Finally the Boss was finished dressing and I followed him out of his room. However, I kept having second thoughts about dropping by my office to check my computer.

I desisted though. I didn't want to make the Boss late just because I had a moment of obsessive- compulsiveness...

Looking back, it was a very careless mistake on my part not to follow my instincts and that nagging gut feeling of dread.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001 DISCONNECTED**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001 (Y/N)?**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 02:30:56 PM

**Location: **A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 1st floor, South Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Maintain neutral status of negotiations.

**Mission Objective:** Negotiations with Millefiore Famiglia. Protect Vongola envoy.

**Mission File Status:** _Downloading 67.32983202 percent complete..._

**Mission Status:**

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

Yamamoto made his way through the short cuts which would take him to the garage.

It took him at least ten minutes to make his way down since the mansion was very huge, sprawling over a large property. It was quite hard to believe that this is only a satellite base of the Vongola.

He later found himself somewhere on the first floor, trying to remember which painting he had to walk past to get to another hidden passage. Then he suddenly heard the sounds of several gunshots and yells of pain and shock.

Yamamoto immediately switched his objective from making it to the meeting area to investigating the source of the shots. He ran toward where he last heard the shots and smelt smoke. Alarm bells started ringing in his head, telling him that there was something very seriously wrong.

Bracing his body for gunfire and rushing out with his _katana_ unsheathed, Yamamoto steeled himself to take down any enemies. Surprisingly, no shots were fired at him, nor did he meet with any bladed weapons or any activated box weapons.

It appeared that whoever was responsible had made a quick get- away and left several dead and dying casualties in their wake.

'_What the Hell happened here?' _Yamamoto thought, lowering the sword slightly as he stared at the sight before him. The men who had been posted on this floor were lying in the corridor. Their blood was staining the expensive emerald green carpet, making large, growing puddles in it. Some of the men were barely alive but choking in their own blood. None of them looked like they would live long.

'_This is not a fair fight or a fair anything.' _He tried to breathe as he started to tremble in agitation. _'This is a fucking massacre.'_

"Sir!" One of the severely injured men tried to get up when he caught sight of him.

"Stay down. What happened here?" Yamamoto tried to keep his voice calm. He sheathed his _katana_ so his hands wouldn't be hindered as he tried to prop the severely injured man up against the wall.

"Trap... It's a... tr- trap... The- The... B- _buggh_..." The man said as he tried to fight back the blood climbing up into his throat.

'_What?' _Yamamoto thought thunderstruck. _'Trap?'_

"The Boss- they're here to- kill the Boss... They're making... their way- up- _please..._"

"They-?" Yamamoto wanted to press the man for a clearer idea who 'they' were when he suddenly choked and threw up his blood all over him.

The Vongola Guardian froze, horror- struck, as the man died on him. That was all it took for him to start sprinting toward the other wing of the mansion, jumping over the dead and dying just to get to the office on the third floor and warn Tsuna and Gokudera of the danger they were in.

'_Shit- I'm still a few corridors away.' _He thought, trying to quell his panic. _'Why the Hell is this place built like a fucking labyrinth?! Tsuna- Gokudera-! Please wait! Please stay alive!'_

Suddenly a gunshot rang out.

Yamamoto reacted immediately and drew his _katana_ again. He twisted around just in time and managed to catch it in the mid- swing of his sword to hit it away from himself. He then kicked off on the carpeted floor and swung his sword upwards- then sideways, cleaving the shooter's shoulder clearly into two. He vaguely recognized the uniform of the Millefiore Black Spell as he spun the man in place and made another swift maneuver to sheathe his _katana_ straight into the man's chest. The assassin dropped to the floor in a heap but Yamamoto didn't bother to check whether he was still alive.

He had more important things on mind, namely his two best friends on the mansion's third floor.

Yamamoto then took off running toward one of the staircases... Taking the elevator would be a very stupid idea right now.

He managed to hide behind a door in time when a squad of Black Spell members began to occupy the corridor he'd just left.

Yamamoto closed his eyes for a moment, silently apologizing to the Vongola _Mafioso _and the other half- dead men he'd left behind in the corridor. He gritted his teeth hard enough to make his jaw hurt as he listened to the squad of assassins going in. He begged the hapless and unfortunate men for forgiveness when they began to finish off those who were barely alive.

The cries of the dying men and the gunshots rang in his ears as he stealthily took off again, under the cover of a thick cloud of smoke coming from another corridor.

He saw that the Millefiore assassins had set fire to some of the rooms of the first floor of the mansion... and the fire was also spreading fast.

_Too fast._

A little while later, he found himself on the second floor.

Yamamoto back tracked a couple of steps when he saw his original route blocked by another wall of flame. The ceiling over the stairs was burning and there were pieces of debris beginning to fall.

"There's another one! After him!" One who appeared to be the leader hollered when he saw him, pointing at him for his men to chase.

"Shit!" Yamamoto cursed and tried to find another route. He slashed a curtain; tossed portrait of the landscape he had been looking at earlier that day and overturned some furniture in an effort to delay his pursuers. He then ducked into another smoke- filled corridor before they could catch him.

The other corridors nearby had been blocked by debris and smoke. Yamamoto worried if the next floors had been set on fire too. He had to get Tsuna and Gokudera out somehow before the mansion completely burned down.

He ducked behind another corridor while covering his mouth and nose with his tie, squinting through the smoke. Then he caught sight of another Millefiore _Mafioso_ with his back to him. Yamamoto swiftly dealt with him with a quick slash to the jugular vein, catching hold of the body before it could make a sound on the floor and alert the other members of the Millefiore. He then started to once more make his way to the third floor.

At the rate the fires were spreading, sooner or later, the Vongola satellite base would turn into a blazing inferno.

Yamamoto was met with another wall of smoke and fire as he tried to make his way to the stairs for the third floor.

"Damn it!" He cursed, slipping on a ring and activating his animal box. His blue swallow burst out, spraying water to put out some of the fire and clear a path for him.

He was relieved not to meet any Millefiore men when he managed to reach the second floor somewhat unscathed but slightly wet.

It looked like the rooms were on this floor had been set on fire as well... Judging from the number of plumes of smoke coming from the rooms, it looked like a large area of this floor was burning.

Yamamoto ducked into a room that hadn't quite been touched by flames yet. He pushed at one painting and opened a secret passage only he and select members of the Family had access to.

'_I hope they haven't found these passages yet. I'll be in really big trouble if they set fire to these too.' _Yamamoto thought, pulling the painting to close behind him. The space was a narrow area and it would be very difficult to get out if he were to be trapped by flames.

'_Tsuna, Gokudera, please be alive!'_ Yamamoto prayed and began to make his way through the passage.

He came out on the other end in a clear area, thankfully still untouched by flames.

"_Mew! Meow!_"

Yamamoto stopped and looked around.

"... Meow?" He repeated, puzzled.

Presently, the kitten form of Gokudera's animal box weapon suddenly darted out of a fire and a pile of rubble, mewling urgently before pacing back and forth in front of the hole it had shot out of, obviously distressed.

"Uri!" Yamamoto called to it, rushing over to see where it had come out from.

If Uri had been activated and was still functioning properly then that meant Gokudera was still alive. He espied a solid handprint of blood on its back and wondered if it was Gokudera's.

If it was, then it meant he was seriously injured.

"Uri, show me where your master is!" Yamamoto ordered it urgently. Uri mewled again and dashed off, indicating for him to follow it to where it left its master and, hopefully, Tsuna.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 CANCELED**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003? (Y/N)?**

* * *

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

**Time:** 02:39:00 PM

**Location: **A Satellite Vongola Mansion, 3rd floor, South Wing Corridor, somewhere in Italy.

**Note:** Maintain neutral status of negotiations.

**Mission Objective:** Negotiations with Millefiore Famiglia. Protect Vongola envoy.

**Mission File Status:** _Downloading 78.32623923 percent complete..._

**Mission Status:**

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001**

The Boss smiled and greeted his men a good afternoon as we walked out of his room to return to his office. The men greeted him back enthusiastically. I only gave a slight nod of my head once to acknowledge the greetings they gave when they saw me. I know some of them feared me. But I preferred that they had someone to respect out of fear since they already respect Yamamoto for being friendly.

Besides...

'Being friendly' just wasn't my style... I knew for a fact the men called me **"The Stick"** behind my back. That made Yamamoto **"The Carrot"**.

I suppose that made sense anyway.

He's practically the Boss' Left hand (But I still preferred to refer to the Idiot as the "Shoulder Blade"... and occasionally changing it to "Nose Hair". Yamamoto would still retaliate with "Snot", much to my annoyance. I plan to call him "Shit" the next time we had that old spat.)

There has to be a balance in the loyalty and respect received in the chain of command in an organization like the mafia.

But no doubt many members of the Vongola _Famiglia_ loved and respected the Tenth. He treated them very well and in turn they give him their utmost respect and loyalty.

Or so I would like to think: There are two notable exemptions to the rule, namely the Vongola Guardian of Cloud and the Vongola Guardian of Mist, Hibari Kyouya and Rokudo Mukuro respectively. No matter how much I tried to understand how the Boss could bear to keep them as his Guardians, I could never completely fathom how and why they could not outwardly show him loyalty. True, they showed respect but that was only out of their personal interests. Either way, I still couldn't stand either of the two.

As I walked beside the Tenth, I looked around the corridor with my peripheral vision... Checking everything for signs of anything unusual...

There were no weird smells, no things that looked out of place.

The Tenth's other subordinates were in full uniform, and I was sure, judging from the slight lumps in their clothing, well armed. There were ten of them in total. We would be meeting another ten at the venue for negotiations.

This crew was composed of five of those whom I had personally trained and five who were trained under Yamamoto. They were to act as the Tenth's body guards for when he went out into open and neutral areas, like the one we were supposed to be leaving for.

Then I noticed that there was only man standing guard on the end of the corridor.

I frowned at this... I was sure that there were supposed to be two guards for every end of the corridor inside the mansion. I specifically made that clear in the duty details of the mansion's security personnel.

The lone guard was talking in his radio handset.

I pricked up my ears, trying to hear what he was saying; no good... the number of people in the corridor reduced the echoes that could bounce back and the noise of human movement made it difficult for me to pick up any sounds from the man on the other end of the corridor.

Just then, he left his post and walked straight toward the group, toward the Tenth.

"Sir, I've just received news that the negotiations have been cancelled." He reported directly to the Boss.

That was unusual... I quickly recalled all the standard operating procedures for all the men on guard duty: If there were any news about cancellations of meetings like negotiations, they were supposed to be reported to me first so I could verify it with other communications to double check its authenticity.

'_Wait a minute, he can't do that,'_ I frowned. _'That's against the security protocol.'_

**_I should know_**; I drafted it myself.

"What? But the meeting was scheduled weeks ago." The Tenth asked, puzzled by the news he was given.

"Boss, wait, I haven't heard about anything about this from anywhere else." I interrupted, moving to stand level with the Tenth. "Did they give any reasons why they're cancelling?" I immediately asked the guard.

I can feel that something is wrong. The Tenth looks a little bothered too.

"They have a message, Sir." The guard told me, reaching into his pocket. I assumed he was going to get a piece of paper containing the message he was claiming he was given.

"What is it?" I asked, my uneasy feeling beginning to grow heavier.

"The Millefiore says this: '_Long live the Vongola'_." He suddenly pulled an automatic pistol out of his jacket.

I reacted immediately and moved to shield the Tenth. I didn't have time to activate any of my box weapons or light any dynamite. Some of the men had also reacted at the same time, drawing their guns, waiting for my or the Tenth's orders.

The man had pointed his gun toward us. I didn't know if he meant to shoot me first or take out the Boss or shoot everyone dead.

I didn't know. Everything happened all too fast.

"**_Boss, stay back!_**" I pushed the Tenth back with my left arm, still facing the assassin, into the small group of his subordinates so they could shield him.

"**_GOKUDERA- KUN!_**" I heard him yell just as the assassin fired.

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_**

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_**

**_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_**

I didn't see if I had pushed the Tenth far back enough because the assassin had shot ten times in rapid succession. A bullet to my shoulder made me immediately feel a searing pain. I tried to keep from crying out in shock when the second shot hit the same shoulder (possibly a couple of inches away from the first).

The gunman had fired what was probably the third or fifth shot into my leg to make me fall to the floor.

I didn't know where the other shots went.

By this time I was lying on the carpeted floor, writhing in pain and forcing myself to get up at the same time.

"**_Get him!_**" I yelled the order to the other men present as I tried to sit up. Some of the men had already moved to apprehend the assassin before I even gave the order. Unfortunately he had somehow managed to get away. I didn't even get the chance to remember his face.

'_Shit... My leg...'_ I cursed the main cause of my difficulty to get up.

I wasn't the only one hit. Three other men who had been standing near the Tenth had been shot in the head, the neck and the heart respectively. They were all killed instantly.

I realized immediately that that assassin is a marksman. He hadn't missed my heart on purpose; he took out the arm I used for my Flame Arrow and the leg on the same side to mess up my balance. I wouldn't be able to move as quickly as possible even if I wanted to as a result of it.

I didn't wonder why he didn't kill me instantly but instead thought only of protecting the Tenth.

The other men who hadn't been injured were the ones who rushed to chase after and apprehend the assassin. I tried to move again to see if the Boss was alright and count how many of the men who remained were still alive: four men had chased after the assassin and two were attending to the Boss.

The last one, one of my former trainees based here in Italy if I remembered correctly, had come to help me up.

"How's the Boss?" I asked wincing at the pain from the gunshot wound in my shoulder.

"He'll be taken well care of, Sir. I'll make sure of it." He said, smiling. "And so will you." I don't know why; something about the way he said it bothered me. Then I wondered why he was smiling so strangely.

Then I heard a weird noise coming from what seems to be outside the mansion.

I looked out of one of the huge windows of the corridor (with some difficulty because of my shoulder) and saw several flying intruders, wearing black and white uniforms and carrying weapons (which were burning with bright red flames characterizing the Storm wave attribute).

"What the Hell-!?" I started when I saw them. "_What the fuck is this?!_"

I quickly cast a better look at where my Boss was and was horrified to see that he was bleeding in several places and struggling to breathe.

Now I knew where the remaining bullets went.

The other two subordinates who stayed behind were busy trying to patch him up as well as they could and didn't see what was happening on my side.

I looked up just in time to see my former trainee put on a ring and proceed to charge a box weapon.

"Sorry, Chief; you were a great instructor. I learned a lot from you. But too bad you're from **_this_** side." He said and pointed a flaming pistol at me.

I immediately realized then that he was a traitor; he was going to kill me and finish off the Boss and the other men. '_No time to light a dynamite; I need a cigarette-'_

I quickly drew out from the lining of my jacket sleeve a small knife and flung it at the second traitor and assassin. Since I had instructed him before, I knew his weakness: _He gets surprised easily._ [7]

The knife went flying from my right hand and made a sharp pain shoot through my left shoulder as I did this.

"**_The fuck_**_-!"_ He swore loudly when my knife embedded itself in the arm holding the pistol. It was enough to delay his recovery and call the attention of the two other men attending to the Tenth. One of those who were attending to the Boss had rushed to my aid and shot the second assassin in the head with his automatic pistol, killing him instantly.

"Sir, what's going on?!" He asked me frantically when he made sure the double- agent was dead.

I tried to think.

'**_SHIT! _**_Fuck...! The hacking!' _I swore, cursing myself for not following my impulse to check the system scanning operation in my office. I might have immediately seen that there were 'additions' to the number of men assigned to the Tenth.

'_We've been breached; the Millefiore... they inserted their men inside our ranks! **DAMN IT!**'_

But I didn't answer the man's question.

I don't know if he's a traitor too. [6]

If I let him know what I had realized... if he was one of 'them', he would immediately kill me before I had the chance to secure the Boss.

"Sir, I'll call back- up!" He quickly reached into his jacket for his radio. I was still feeling wary of him.

'_How do I know he's not a traitor and that he's not calling up any other agents from the other side?'_

I didn't; I couldn't.

I then decided to attend to the Boss first then worry about the infiltrations later.

"Boss!" I limped over with great difficulty to him and get a closer look at his injuries. '_This is bad...' _I thought. He'd been shot twice in the stomach and once in the chest near his heart. I can't tell yet if he had taken another bullet somewhere else.

Everything had happened so fast.

I could only think that I hadn't pushed him far back enough so the other men could shield him or that the assassin was really a good marksman even under pressure.

Why had the other men not reacted fast enough to protect him? Could there have been other assassins in the group too? The same ones who had given chase to the first one; were they traitors also? Keeping a pretense of loyalty until they had the chance to get close enough to kill us all?

I don't understand what's going on...

**_Who are my enemies?_**

Who else was going to try killing me with a smile before pulling the trigger to finish off the Tenth?

The Tenth was still struggling to breathe. The areas he'd been hit are potentially fatal if not treated immediately.

I tried to remove my jacket, gritting my teeth against the pain from the gunshot wounds. When I finally got it off, I tore it into shreds with another knife I had concealed inside it.

Then I noticed that there was an extra man attending to the Tenth. He had brought a first aid kit with him and was working to stop the bleeding. I briefly wondered when he had arrived at the scene.

But then I figured he might be the back- up the other man had called earlier.

"Wrap that around his stomach," I ordered the other two men who had been attending to the Tenth earlier. They quickly obeyed and took the shredded strips of my jacket. I would have bandaged the Tenth's injuries myself but my shoulder wouldn't let me.

Instead, I carefully watched them work; looking for any strange and unnecessary movements that would tell me if they would attempt to kill him under the pretense of helping him.

I was shaking, but I had to keep calm... I couldn't let other potential assassins take advantage of my fear so they could reveal themselves before we had a chance to escape.

The two attending to the Boss are apparently useless at first aid, I thought, irritated. Thankfully the newcomer seemed to know what he was doing and took over for both. When he finished, he took the left- over strips and offered to bandage my shoulder and leg as well.

'_He works quickly and efficiently,'_ I noted, memorizing his facial appearance so I could remember him later, just in case. _'But where did he come from?'_ I absently wondered. However I pushed the thought away for later and tried to think of what to do next: I had to get the Tenth to proper medical attention immediately and check the computer so I could find out who else were traitors in our ranks.

Finally he finished bandaging me and helped me to move closer to the Boss.

"Check on the other floors if there are other assassins. If you see Yamamoto, send him up here." I ordered the three men.

"Yes, Sir!" They replied and immediately acted to carry out my orders. But just then I heard a loud whistling noise. I looked up and saw even more men in black and white uniforms, flying and hovering just outside the mansion with the use of flaming boots.

"What the-?!" I heard one of the men swear but didn't get to finish.

By this time, the intruders outside had started shooting projectiles ignited with Storm flames.

I immediately dropped to the ground and shielded the Boss with my own body as the large glass windows were blown inward with the explosions of the projectiles. Tiny pieces of glass scattered onto me and around us. The larger shards cut and flew in different directions. I could feel at least a couple or more of the larger pieces stabbing into my shoulders and my arms.

'_Fuck, taking those out is going to hurt a bitch later.'_ I thought, squeezing my eyes shut and gritting my teeth, hoping none would hit my neck or spine. I would be instantly dead or paralyzed if that happened.

The corridor was set ablaze with the blasts. Patches of the carpet started burning and sending plumes of smoke to the ceiling.

'_Why aren't the sprinklers turning on?!'_ I thought frantically. Then I figured it was another area that had been hit by the hacking the week before.

**_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck..._**

This was very bad...

Then a more powerful blast with accompanying fire hurled both the Tenth and me into one part of the corridor... a distance away from where we were originally and separating us from the others.

I couldn't tell what had happened to the three other men because of the smoke that resulted from the fires.

I figured that they had been killed by the blast since they were so close to the windows.

I could also smell burning hair... I figured it was mine since I was the one with his back to the fire when the blasts occurred.

The smoke was hurting my eyes...

I coughed and covered my mouth and nose and knelt down on the floor, keeping my head low to where there was less smoke. I then (painfully) picked out of my back and both shoulders the large pieces of glass that had managed to pierce through my shirt and into my back, before lying on my stomach, while trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder and see through the smoke for a way out.

I could smell burnt hair and burnt flesh... Three men who were originally with us had been killed earlier; the cadavers could have been set ablaze in that attack... and it was possible that three more had been added. I hate to think what could have happened to the others who had chased after the assassin...

..._or if they were traitors themselves..._

'_Are we going to die?' _I thought frantically. _'Are we all going to be killed just like this?'_

I was scared... _So scared_.

I'm not the only one left alive here. I looked to the person lying beside me and I knew I needed to get help fast.

But I couldn't move too well... One of the bullets had missed hitting my leg dead center but had carved a deep gash in my left leg... I couldn't move without pain shooting through it... The two gunshot wounds in my left shoulder throbbed painfully. I don't know if the bullets were still inside me or if they exited and had hit the Tenth.

Instead I grit my teeth again to try and bear with the pain.

As far as I could see, the Tenth had been hit with the last four bullets. I supposed that meant I still had the first two bullets in my shoulder.

The projectiles that had been shot into the corridor had been covered in Dying Will flames.

Everywhere they hit was set ablaze and the fire they made was eating away at everything.

_'Storm flames,_' I thought recognizing the red color and degenerating ability of the flames. The projectiles continually being shot at the mansion were not making things any better for us since they were causing the entire building to break down.

I painfully moved closer and made my body into a shield again, covering the Boss to protect him from other possible waves of flying shrapnel and flames. I trembled with pain, panting as I tried to keep my injured leg and shoulder from overwhelming me.

"... Gokudera- _kun_... Get out of here... Save yourself..." The Tenth said hoarsely into my ear.

I knew that I was blatantly disobeying my Boss now.

While it had been unthinkable for me to do before, right now, there was no other thing left for me to do. Instead I deliberately kept silent and my breathing steady. I didn't want him to know that my injuries were hurting me badly while I tried to shield him from the fire and projectiles... but knowing him, he probably already knew...

Several more flying, flaming projectiles were still being shot through the broken windows... It was not safe to move yet. I kept my head down, almost touching the floor above Boss' left shoulder as I covered him from view of the Millefiore shooting at the mansion.

I was so scared... scared that one of the assaulting enemy would spot us... scared they would move in for the finishing blow for both of us.

Meanwhile, the Boss kept whispering to me to escape. At least that way, I knew he was still hanging on and made me even more determined to keep him from getting anymore injuries.

Soon enough there were large piles of debris around us, effectively trapping me and the Boss on the third floor; in that end of the corridor... I got up off my arms and moved to lie down beside the Boss on my stomach to rest my injured leg and left shoulder... The Boss' suit... his right shoulder... was soaked with my blood, I noticed. I looked at myself and saw that my left shirt sleeve and the make- shift bandages made from my jacket were now heavily soaked with blood as well. I could feel my limbs numbing...

"I told... you... to get out... of here... Gokudera-" The Tenth tried to sound stern. He was failing at it since he was growing weak and faint. I shook my head slowly to let him see that I wouldn't do as he asked.

"I'm _not_ leaving, Tenth." I told him again. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large piece of debris threatening to fall from a pile and potentially crush us if something could not be done about it first.

"SHIT!" I cursed and hurriedly activated one of the Storm boxes of my Sistema C.A.I., my left arm protesting in pain as I moved to remove the box weapon from my belt and remove the chain around my ring...

I blasted the debris away with my Flame Arrow and, in the process, made a very small clear opening to the corridor. My left arm protested from the weight of my weapon and from the pain of the two gunshot wounds.

An idea clicked in my mind and I activated another box weapon attached to my belt.

The red flames of my Storm wave energy sprang from my ring. A red glow shot from the inside of the box as it opened and released what I needed.

I rolled on to my uninjured side so I could see what I had activated.

"_Nyao?_"

"U- Uri!" I commanded urgently, pointing to the small opening I made. "Make your way out of here and find help! Find Yamamoto-!"

My animal box weapon mewled again. Instead of leaving like I told it to, ran to my side.

It stood on its hind legs, propping its front paws onto my chest and sniffed at the gunshot wounds in my shoulder, mewling worriedly.

"...**_Uri_**..." I tried to speak. The pain all over my body was nearly unbearable. _'This is bad...'_ I thought.

Uri didn't look like it wanted to leave me behind.

"_Nyeow_... _Meowr! Nyaow!_" Uri nuzzled my face, looking at me with wide eyes and pawed at my singed hair. The fire had burnt part of it but I didn't know just how much. Nor did I care right now...

I had other things to worry about.

Uri still sniffed and fussed over my shoulder so I moved my left hand to cover the wound. I could feel the warm blood sticking to my hand and had another idea: I could send a message through Uri and hopefully Yamamoto would be able to immediately understand it.

Uri was trying to fuss over my wound again.

I took the opportunity it was close to leave a handprint of blood from my shoulder on its back. Uri looked over at it curiously and tried to wipe it off.

"Uri, **_don't_**!" I commanded.

Immediately it obeyed and returned to worrying over my injuries.

"Stupid, don't worry about me now...!" I scolded it and brushed it off. "Just go! Find help! _Hurry_!" I pointed to the small opening I had managed to make with my Flame Arrow. [9]

Uri gave me another reluctant look, mewled again and then shot off into the flames and smoke. I could hear labored breaths beside me and sat up with some difficulty to attend to them.

'_This is bad...' _I thought as I surveyed the damage. I don't know that much about anatomy but I could tell that something vital had been hit. My hands shook as I tried to stop the blood with my bare hands. I didn't have my jacket anymore since I had already torn it up earlier and had it used for bandages. Taking off my shirt would be a very stupid idea right now since there was a fire and I didn't have anything else to serve as protection against it.

"Boss, please hang in there!" I said, looking at his face to check his pupils. They were starting to dilate.

'_Boss, don't,' _I thought frantically. _'Don't go there! Tenth, stay awake!'_ I gingerly tapped the side of his face repeatedly, trying to keep him awake.

"Tenth, don't sleep! Open your eyes!" I kept trying to wake him for a few minutes, still listening for the sounds of any approaching Millefiore assassins and for the fire spreading.

Finally his eyes opened and blinked blearily up at me.

"...G- Goku- dera... _kun_...?" He asked his voice hoarse and breathy.

"Yes, Tenth, it's me! Please stay awake! I'll get you out of this; please be patient and stay awake!" I told him, almost begging him.

"G- Gok- Gokudera..." He said again. I've tried so hard not to panic. It wouldn't do us any good if I started panicking now.

The smoke was slowly getting thicker. We would suffocate to death if we didn't get out of here soon.

'_Uri, please hurry!' _I thought, frustrated. I tried to pull my Boss up and drag him to an area with lesser smoke as best as I could with my less injured arm.

"Gokudera- _kun_, please get... out of here..." The Tenth murmured weakly as I half- dragged him on the floor.

"_I told you- _I'm **_not_** leaving you behind! I'll get us **_both _**out of here, Tenth!" I answered sharply while searching frantically for spot that wasn't too affected by the fires (and subsequently a way for us to escape but without aggravating the Tenth's injuries). My left leg and left shoulder protested with pain as I dragged the Boss and my own weight to a clearer space.

I laid the Boss out on the carpeted floor and tried to make him as comfortable as I could (if that was possible in a burning, smoke- filled building). I then leaned against the wall and used it to help me sit down beside him. I looked up over my shoulder, at the wall behind me, and saw that my blood had smeared on it.

'_Well, fuck... housekeeping's going to have a Hell of a time cleaning if there's going to be anything left of this mansion...' _I thought sardonically. I could still recognize where we were though. We were just outside the Tenth's office. I was panting from the pain from my leg and shoulder. Both were bleeding very profusely by now because of the pressure I've been putting on them to carry the Tenth.

If this place is near the Tenth's office... that meant mine was nearby... My computer, if it hadn't been hit by the fires yet was still running the scans on the hacking.

I debated with myself if I should go and look at the results and find out who were the spies and assassins inserted into the Vongola's database are.

I then looked at my Boss, lying beside me in pain, visibly suffering from his injuries. The shots to his stomach were probably making his digestive juices spill out and eat away at his insides.

'_Not a painless way to die...' _I thought as I watched him make labored breaths. Then I scolded myself for even thinking that way._ 'Stop **thinking** that, Hayato! The Tenth can't die! You **can't** let him die!'_

I also didn't want to leave my Boss' side for another reason: what if there were other assassins who were still around and found him if I left to I look at the results of the scans on the Vongola's database?

"Boss, you **_have_** to stay awake..." I told the Tenth, waving at the smoke weakly with my uninjured arm in a pathetic effort to keep it away from my head. He smiled feebly when I said this.

I'm an idiot.

I had to stay awake myself so Uri could stay activated. Boss was too injured to waste his strength by talking.

"Fuck... What should I do?" I muttered, holding my shoulder and trying to psych myself into thinking it was nothing compared to the Boss'; to suck it up and _do something_.

I also tried to make up my mind between the two choices I had for my next course of action... While I was trying to make a decision the smoke was getting closer and thicker.

"Gokudera- _kun..._ did you... always want... to become a _Mafioso_?" I blinked and looked at my Boss at the sudden question.

"...I..." I thought back into my childhood for an answer. Somehow I found this a very ill- opportune time be talking about such things...

I didn't want to lie to him. I **_can't_** bring myself to... Not when he's like this...

"I didn't become one- I told you before- that I... was born... and raised into the mafia..." I told him quietly. "The mafia is... it's all I've ever known- I don't think that's... ever going to change."

Was it just me or did the Tenth look... despondently... at me?

"Do you... ever regret... being one?" He asked again. I don't know why he sounds so sad for me.

"**_Never_**_._" I replied. "If I wasn't... I would have never- found a home."

I may have had to do unpleasant things, made others do them for me, gotten hurt, and had several brushes with death in the past but I could never bring myself to dislike the kind of life I have... I just knew that the Tenth and the Family made it all worth it.

"You think of- the Family... as home?"

"Yeah." I found myself smirking a little. Even though I couldn't stand certain members of this Family, I stuck with them for most of my better years.

This Family is where I belonged. _'But this situation feels really cheesy and corny..._'

Then I wondered what he could be thinking right now: what was running through his mind that kept him so calm even though his injuries were slowly killing him?

"...I'm glad..." I heard Boss say suddenly. I looked again and saw that he was smiling, if only weakly.

I don't know how much time passed. Hours? Minutes?

'_Minutes.'_ I decided. The Boss was still breathing despite his serious injuries.

A shot to the stomach should kill a man in probably less time than it had taken for me to drag ourselves here. The Boss, to his credit, was holding well on his own. Any other man would be crying in fear and pain; panicking as his insides were slowly being eaten away by the stomach's acids.

I felt so useless... I didn't have anything on me that would be of any help... All I had were my dynamite, my Sistema C.A.I., two injuries and a brain slowly becoming deprived of oxygen.

I couldn't think straight... The pain in my leg and shoulder was threatening to make me faint... I think I've lost too much blood...

I wanted to fall asleep... but I couldn't.

What if something happened to the Boss? What if he died before we could be rescued? What if **_I_** died? Who would be left to protect him? '_Fuck, what do I do?'_

Soon enough, the remaining clean oxygen in our part of the corridor decreased and I was starting to feel dizzy.

Before long, I was suffocating.

Then later I found I couldn't breathe. The room was spinning and shapes of things began to blur for me.

'_Are we going to die?'_ I thought again weakly as I fought to stay awake. My Flame Arrow deactivated and returned to its box when I blacked out for a moment.

Uri may have deactivated by then also but I hoped it didn't. I knew it could be stubborn if it wanted to be...

By this time, my more than half of my left sleeve and part of my shirt front had been soaked in my own blood.

Then next thing I knew, there were two pairs of arms, picking me up and quickly carrying me away. I tried to protest that they attend to the Boss first. I could still smell smoke but I couldn't smell the burning bodies anymore. I could hear the mewling of a kitten, a brush of fur near my face and voices. But I couldn't see the Boss anymore.

The air felt like there were still fires burning.

Something small was on my chest.

I opened my eyes blearily and saw Uri staring down at me, nuzzling and licking at my face, trying to rouse me. But I could feel it was starting to lose power since I was going in and out of consciousness.

The flame on my ring flickered while I fought to stay awake. Eventually Uri deactivated and returned to its box just as I passed out when the flames powering it extinguished from my ring. [8]

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001 DISCONNECTED**

**RETRY TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 001 (Y/N)?**

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**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **Wow... that sounded quite delirious... I guess it's at that point where Gokudera (partly) takes leave of his senses. Time for Yamamoto to be the clean- up batter since it looks like Gokudera's been struck out of the game for the meantime. (Refer to Rewrite 03 for what happened after this chapter, if you're finicky about things happening in sequence. I promise I did not make a mistake in sequencing events in the chapters. I like to start by giving the 'effect' first, puzzle over how to 'cause' it then write it into a later part. Then switch the process for the next part and do all other sorts of fiddly things with the story. It's really fun and looks pretty cool to me when all of it comes together... It's a confusing way of writing though; I'll admit to having difficulty with it at times.)

**[1] Bride of Smoking Bomb:** Personally, I think he'll stay a bachelor for the rest of his life. He'll probably not want to spread any of his (mafia boss) father's genes (seeing as how much he hates the guy). _Omérta_ dictates the Family should be above everything else; you come when your boss summons you, "even if your wife is giving birth". See just how hard looking for that very understanding woman is? I don't think Gokudera cares whether he dies alone and single; he's got the Tenth and the Family. _Bwahaha!_ There was a reference to the fourth of the one- shots in "T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified" there (I don't know if you guys have read it... Seriously, go and read it if you're interested to know what Gokudera's type is.)

**[2] Kitten Playtime: **"T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified: "**File 003: Playtime**"; I've read animals have a sixth sense for things that could go wrong. They go crazy when an earthquake or volcanic eruption is coming. Some big dogs are trained to knock their owners down to the ground and keep them in place when they sense that s/he is about to have a seizure.

Uri seems to get Gokudera unstuck whenever it's just playing or being mischievous (First one- shot in "T.R.R.o.R.: The Declassified Files", Uri was looking at Gokudera's computer screen when they went to his office.) Could Uri have known the Gokudera's scanning software had by then turned up results on who tried to hack the Vongola? _Only Uri knows. _83

**[3] The Boss' Machiavellian Image Consultant: **Gokudera thinking of war against Yamamoto's birthday gifts (neckties) to Tsuna. _LOL! _ Yamamoto **_still_** manages to piss Gokudera off even when he's not in the room! Gokudera's weird logic is **_still_** **_there_** even after nearly ten years! (BTW, no, Gokudera is **_not_** gay but he **_does_** strike me as a "metrosexual" (a more extravagant word for "**_vain_**", in my opinion), if you don't know that term, look it up on the Internet, you're already on it). This part was influenced by **Machiavelli's "The Prince"** (A really good piece of writing if you want to know about what makes good and bad leaders in government, organizations, etc.) I've been reading it out of curiosity for quite a while now. Apparently great leaders have to be concerned about the physical image they project to their enemies and their people. People actually show more respect (and are even intimidated) if you're dressed to look professional and like somebody in authority... So... if you're good- looking, you can make people scared shitless of you...? Is that how Reborn would put it? (Er, it seems to work for Gokudera; Gamma **_said _**he grew up to be "the **_feared_** Right- hand man"... I wonder why Tsuna **_still_** can't scare the fuck out of anyone by himself... Maybe he has Gokudera to do the scaring for him...? 8D)

**[4] Whale- Shark Necktie: **If you don't know what a whale shark is, go Google it. I wouldn't put it past Gokudera to know about unusual animals (cough-_Tsuchinoko_-cough).

**[5] Birthday Fireworks-slash-Magic Show:** As you can probably see, he still has that little one- sided 'internal rivalry' thing going on with Yamamoto. Gokudera also always seems to be putting on a magic show every time he has to perform something for party entertainment (Remember the trick involving stabbing a Tsuna-in-a-box with real swords and banking on Tsuna to know when and how to dodge...?)

Apparently he got a little better at it over the years... but he still requires a victim, I mean, an assistant (either Yamamoto or Tsuna). The 'birthday show' he was referring to can be found in "T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified: "**File 002: An Adult Show**".

The lower ranking Vongola subordinates would have **_definitely _**loved his idea for a birthday gift to Tsuna and his contribution to the birthday party entertainment the following year (too bad Tsuna died before making it to his next year's birthday bash).

**[6] Like Horus:** Gokudera's given name (隼 [Haya] 人 [to]) literally means 'Falcon person'. Birds of prey like hawks and falcons are primarily hunters and are always associated with being 'watchful'. The ancient Egyptians and Native American tribes have used the falcon as a symbol for vigilance and protection; Egyptians have a god named Horus commonly depicted as a peregrine falcon or a man with a falcon head...

Given ten years, Gokudera could mature into that reliable Right hand he's always wanted to be. I figured being "observant" and "protective" would be good characteristics to put into my version of the adult Gokudera's personality.

But there **_are_** some things that one man won't be able to see by himself. I have to mention here that Gokudera has his limits because he's only **_one_** man (not some supernatural entity with omniscient powers, like a genie maybe) who has a very strenuous job and lives in a very dangerous world. I'm not writing him to be perfect (because he's not supposed to be and that's impossible for me to do seeing as he has many character flaws and idiosyncrasies).

Then there's this story about Horus loosing his eye and mistaking his friends for enemies. (Kind of like when Gokudera gets injured then thinks which of the Vongola men in the mansion are possibly traitors and or Millefiore agents, _no?_)

**[7] Gokudera has _Knives_?:** No, I didn't have him imitate Belphegor... Although I did have him use wire in Rewrite 004 (But it's **_piano_** wire... and Gokudera **_plays_** the **_piano_**... That probably should have been an obvious give- away... :D). His primary weapon is still dynamite and the Sistema C.A.I... **_BUT_** Gokudera **_has_** used knives before; only they were for a talent show contest thing (KHR! Manga- **Target 55: The Tanabata Contest**) and apparently he has a very good aim with them (since he makes Tsuna very worried about how to dodge them).

**[8] Bye- bye Uri?: **This'll probably be the last we'll see of the adorable little box weapon in a long time. Awww... It's been such a sweetie (and a pain). Uri, we'll miss you! TT-TT I'd let it go with TYL Gokudera to the past but then that would mess up things in the canon arc. Uri will be under the care (?) of its Master's teenage self from now on. After reading one of the recent manga chapters, I concluded that Uri is one really cool kitty! I always thought that Uri could grow into a huge-ass cat ever since I read in the manga Kyoko's comment that Uri had large paws and that it meant it would grow up into something big (she probably just thought Uri is just a kitten; she knows nothing about the flames and box weapons of course).

** [9] Who's Your Daddy?:** -pumpsfistintheair- _Gokudera is Uri's 'Daddy'!!_ (-LOLWHUT-)I think I already established that in Rewrite 002 and "T.R.R.o.R: Declassified"... (LOL... _Lucky kitty..._) I just couldn't help but think while writing this part: _"GO URI! Make it through for your Daddy!"_ I _know_ that's out of place, given the situation, but still... _Pffttt... Hahahahahaha...!_ OK, ignore my weirdness now... This is by far the **_saddest_** Uri and TYL Gokudera scene I've ever written. It's the last time Uri will see its Master for a **_very_** long time. **_WAAAH!_**_ Poor Uri!!_ TT-TT (BTW, yes, TYL Gokudera will miss Uri too, but he's not going to admit that out loud... _Kekeke_... we know your secret now, Goku!)

_Tsk_, _tsk_... Such a **_sad_** parting between a man and his... uh... **_box_**... TT-TT

The next time Uri is activated (in the canon arc) it's the teenaged Gokudera it sees. We already know that it's not too happy with him. You can see the love the little/big kitty has for its 'real' Master. **(Refer to Declassified File 003: "Playtime")** Let's pretend I speak 'cat'... errr, 'box'... From Uri: '_Nyaaooww...' _Trans: "Waaaaahh... Master! Where are youuuu?! Come baaaaaaaccckkk!!"

Okay... I'll be a good student and go do my homework now. _Ciao ciao!_

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**PREVIEW:**

**Rewrite 007: The Difference Between Loving and Lying**

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

**Time: **Blocked

**Location: **Blocked

**Note:** Blocked

**Archive File Summary:** **Archive File Status:** _Downloading 3.78907986 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

What Yamamoto would give to have those carefree days back... to have the fired up and boxer- clad Tsuna in Dying Will Mode... The little guy smirking as he made his escape on Tsuna- back and Gokudera making a very good impersonation of Emily Rose... both at twenty five years old... back?

_Guh_... **_What_** was he thinking...? Didn't he have better memories of his friends? Yamamoto chided himself.

**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003 FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION? **

**(Y/N?)**

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For continued file transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

Wah... My original draft for Rewrite 007's gone!! I'm going to have to type it all over again! TT-TT But of course school work comes first! :P


	7. Rewrite 007: The Difference Between

I reread the last chapter and thought that some things were off... Then I realized that I had switched around the locations of Gokudera's gunshot wounds the second time they were talked about in detail. XP I had meant for his left shoulder to have two and his left leg to have one (but not a gunshot wound where the bullet is embedded in the flesh; just a deep gash). My bad; so sorry! (Wonder why nobody pointed them out to me... Nobody noticed?) -sigh- Yet another result of editing, proof- reading and beta- reading by myself. I corrected the mistakes (plot and grammar) and added some details that I realized were missing (like the part where Tsuna and Gokudera were talking to keep each other awake).

I **_had_** been wondering **_why_** those parts were missing. Turns out I had uploaded the wrong draft of the chapter by mistake (I keep three kinds of drafts as back- up...). So sorry to the people who read that! It's fine if you don't want to read it again (unless you'd like to know what Gokudera thinks about his being a Vongola _Mafioso_; aw, you're so sweet, Goku… Never mind that both of you are bleeding to death there); there were only additional dialogue and grammar corrections.

**IMPORTANT****: **In the anime episode (subtitled by ShinsenSubs), the part where Tsuna and Gokudera were being told about the Millefiore by adult Yamamoto, it was named there that **_Tsuna_** had been summoned for the negotiations. I don't know about the other translations but that's the one I saw. Anyway, it's inconsistent with my last chapter... **_IF _**I was following the anime. But I since I mostly follow the **_manga_**, the one translation of the one I read (the ones [o ne ma nga. com] uses) said that the Millefiore summoned an "**_envoy_**", not the "**_Boss_**". **It did not name who the envoy was.** It made me assume that TYL Yamamoto and Reborn were keeping some things from the younger Tsuna and Gokudera while not completely lying to them.

Anyway, I just clarified that to keep things consistent. It's a waste of time trying to take back what happened in the last chapter and besides, I think the adult Yamamoto would do the "adult thing" and try to censor some things for the teenage Tsuna and Gokudera by **_NOT_** explicitly naming Tsuna as the envoy killed. (Lessens the trauma for the kid, right?)

In any case, I kinda got sick of writing about Gokudera... (It's **_tiring_** to keep writing in his point of view... He's really hard to keep in character while still injecting a semblance of '_maturity_' in him... It's been nearly ten years after all. He's **_got_** to have matured in some aspects... at some point...) I'll leave him to bleed/ sleep for a while and come back to him later (_assuming he's still alive by the time I finish this chapter... hahaha..._). Spent a whole week doing schoolwork, but not complaining about that... At least it's more worth doing than re- editing stuff I've been pounding out to keep myself occupied over the summer vacation.

I've also started a collection of stories in preparation for future chapters of "T.R.R.o.R."! It's titled: **_"La Rottura di Omérta"_** (meaning "The Break of Omérta) in the site's database. It's related to the Vongola... somehow…

The first story should explain a bit how Gokudera made his escape from the Cavallone safe house. XD

So read that one if you want to know what else happened in the safe house.

Now, a friendly reminder from the administrator of the "T.R.R.o.R." database!: **MISSION FILE:** Real- time narrations written in first person perspective (otherwise known as Gokudera's narration or point of view). **ARCHIVE FILE:** Flashbacks written in third person perspective (but if Gokudera's in charge of narrating it, then it's in first person perspective). **SURVEILLANCE FILE: **Real- time narrations written in third person perspective (this would be in Yamamoto's or any other characters' perspective).

I'm not sure if there'll be other file types in the future but I'll post these notes in every few chapters so it won't get too confusing.

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! last time I checked.

**Warning: **Character death (s), adult themes, violence, things that make the mafia _"mafia"_... And... 'Somebody' goes '**_I WANT YOUR BLOOD RIGHT NOW!!_**_'... _Other than vampirism, it's otherwise known as **OOC- ness**. ;P)

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**The Right Rewrite of Right**

By: Satirical Juxtapose

**Rewrite 007: The Difference Between Loving and Lying**

Written: Sunday, June 23, 2008, 04:08:08 PM

Recovered and Edited: Monday, July 14, 2008, 06:04:16 PM

Updated: Monday, September 29, 2008, 05:26:43 PM

Re- updated: Monday, December 29, 2008, 09:02:52 PM

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

**Time:** 04:00:02 PM

**Location:** Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan

**Note:** Vongola Hunt Ongoing; Vongola Hit Man/ Arcobaleno Reborn- recovered; Yamamoto Tsuyoshi- eliminated by Millefiore

**Archive File Summary: **Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi before heading out to escort Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia (CEDEF) envoy, Arcobaleno Lal Mirch.

**Archive File Status:** _Downloading 78.12432542 percent complete..._

**RESUME TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003**

After making tracks and leaving misleading trails for the Millefiore, Yamamoto returned to the underground base the next day to find Reborn up and about.

He listened to Reborn's story about being hit by the Ten- Year Bazooka (as incredible and unbelievable as it was).

Then Yamamoto updated him with what he knew about the Vongola's current situation, who did they know have been taken out by the Millefiore, who of their friends and allies had gone into hiding... every little detail of the current Vongola mafia that he could think and knew of.

Reborn's expression was as unreadable as ever. But he knew that the Arcobaleno found the entire situation troubling. Who wouldn't after all?

Yamamoto also heard that Reborn learned about the history of the box weapons and their uses from Giannini while he had been gone. Yamamoto was glad about having one less thing to explain. Box weapons were very powerful and mysterious things after all.

Reborn then asked about Yamamoto himself.

He told Reborn about his progress as a swordsman, about Squalo's one- hundred and one battles DVD collection he had sent to him for 'bragging purposes' during the time he was still aiming for professional baseball. He also told Reborn how he couldn't get his _Shigure Kintoki_ to synchronize with the replacement Rain rings... and this was _after_ Tsuna destroyed the Vongola rings himself to avoid a different mafia war prior to this one.

Reborn had been particularly interested about the _Shigure Kintoki _and Vongola Ring of Rain's combination. Yamamoto thought the hit man was just simply being curious since it **_IS_ **unique for a sword that was **_not_** a box weapon to become ignited with flames. (Giannini had apparently told him that apart from the late Tsuna's gloves and his predecessors' weapons, only box weapons could be ignited with the Dying Will flames)

Yamamoto wasn't being arrogant about it, but he told him that if he could get his _Shigure Kintoki_ completely tuned to the power of the Vongola Ring of Rain, he could be even stronger than Superbia Squalo (now known as the Second Sword Emperor in this era).

Since Tsuna destroyed the Vongola rings, he had been using a sword that didn't transform like the _Shigure Kintoki _did when used with _Shigure Souen Ryu_. He had to have it customized in such a way that it could still generate his Rain flames. But it wasn't as good as the sword passed down to him when he became the successor to his father's _Shigure Souen Ryu_.

Reborn had looked very thoughtful after hearing this. But despite all these years, it was still difficult to decipher what Arcobaleno hit man could possibly be thinking…

Then Yamamoto went on to explained as much and as best as he could about the events that took place before and after Tsuna's death.

He gave him the information that Gokudera had been murdered before he could recover and disclose Tsuna's last words.

He explained that the Vongola didn't have a successor from the Vongola bloodline to lead in the Ninth (who was still missing) and Tsuna's stead. From what he could recall, the _consigliore_, Sawada Iemitsu, should take control of the mafia for until a boss could be selected… and according to Dino, whom he had consulted on the matter, since Gokudera was Tsuna's second- in- command, it **_could_** **_have_** been his duty to take the reins in heading the Family in absence of a blood- related heir.

But Yamamoto had seen and heard Gokudera becoming panic-stricken and loudly refusing to obey Tsuna's final orders.

What those orders exactly were, Yamamoto didn't know. Gokudera had taken Tsuna's secret to his grave.

Reborn looked even more pensive after hearing this. Yamamoto rightly guessed from the tiny frown of his little mouth that the Arcobaleno was troubled.

Just then, Giannini came in with the news that the Millefiore had struck again: Yamamoto's father, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, had been murdered in the "Takesushi" restaurant. According to the report: judging from the property damage, it looked like he had been overwhelmed by a whole squad... The old man's body was found holding a broken _katana_, blade spattered with blood, indicating that his old man had died fighting for his life. The slash wounds on the corpse were so severe that it almost fell apart when the coroner's staff tried to move it into a body bag. [2]

Takeshi was stunned.

He had only seen his old man a few hours ago, making a hundred orders of sashimi for a wedding reception to take place the next day.

He'd asked what happened to Takeshi's chin, why he suddenly had a scar there.

Takeshi made up a story of Gokudera's cat having gone crazy on him (describing it as "territorial, _possessive_ and **_jealous_**,") when he had tried to set his friend up with a gorgeous Italian girl earlier that week. His old man seemed to buy his story.

With a scar like that, Takeshi doesn't look so **_boyish_** anymore, his old man laughed. Then he remarked that it had been _quite a while_ since he saw **_either_** of Takeshi's two best friends.

Takeshi once again made up a lie about both of them busy with work; but they were doing very well, _oyaji_.

The old man then told his son to bring his friends with him next time he dropped by to say 'hello', when they had the time; to tell Tsuna that he was sick of him calling up the "Takesushi" every other week to place orders for the same large platter of sushi and sashimi to be delivered to the same address; it's not going to get anything going unless, perhaps, if he delivers them himself. He also told him to tell his smoker buddy to quit the cancer- stick habit and instead start finding a nice, pretty girl to satisfy that heavy oral fixation of his... [3] If he needed help, he had a bunch of pretty regulars who were into sales and wanted his e- mail address. They're free on Wednesdays and Saturdays, by the way.

Takeshi had chuckled and promised his old man to pass on the messages, just to keep the old man from suspecting that his two best friends would no longer be able to hear them.

The old man had then given his son a wide grin and cheekily asked when he was going to meet the nice girl who would give him his cute little grandkids? Take her out on a date sometime and have dinner in the sushi restaurant; it'll be on the house.

Takeshi had startled, nearly losing his balance while he tried to put on his shoes, and started blushing furiously.

Wha- What are you **_saying_**, _Oyaji_?! He had stammered out as his old man started to laugh.

He shouldn't keep things like that from his old man, he said. Your _Oyaji_ isn't getting any younger and he would like to have at least one grandchild to spoil. **_Actually_**, he would have wanted a whole bunch of little grandkids to coddle and liven up the lonely house on the weekends; it's been really quiet since he moved out… Takeshi and his friends should really visit anytime they want a free lunch and beer.

Takeshi startled again: _Oyaji_, he's still only twenty- five and his old man wanted **_grandchildren_** _already_?! Just how many grandkids did his _oyaji_ want anyway? He had asked just to humor him.

His old man gave him a number.

Takeshi balked and spluttered:

**_Was he serious?!_**

His old man huffed as he washed his hands off to remove the dead fresh fish smell and wiped them on his apron. He just wanted Takeshi to be happy and loved by somebody so he wouldn't be so lonely when the time came for Takeshi's old man to join his mother, he explained, looking fondly at his tall, grown- up son.

Come on, don't talk like that, _Oyaji_, Takeshi had chuckled, feeling a bit strange. It felt like it had been such a long time since he last actually laughed.

Ah, fine, she's probably waiting for you, wondering if she'll meet all of my standards for you... His _Oyaji _said gruffly but Takeshi knew it was in good humor. He told him: first, she **_has_** to be in love with you; second, she should be the type who **_won't_** get jealous if you turn out to be better in the kitchen than in _'you- know- where'_ (accompanied by a roguish wink), and third, she **_has_**_ to like kids_.

But it wouldn't hurt if she looked like cute enough to be a model, his _Oyaji_ grinned. He **_did _**say he wanted cute grandkids…

Takeshi knew better than to argue where he was going to find a girl like **_that_**? His old man could be adamant and strict with expectations if he wanted to.

Also, the old man seemed to be in such a doting mood. Takeshi couldn't bring himself to correct his father that he wasn't seeing anyone.

"I have to get going now," Takeshi had said.

Fine, ignore the ramblings of this old man; go on and scram! The old man had chuckled, pulling on his tall son's arm to make him stoop a bit so he could reach up and rumple his hair roughly and fondly.

That hurts _Oyaji_; Takeshi mock- complained and bid his father a 'see you later' before setting off again.

While he would have liked for their father- and- son talks to go on, it would be too dangerous in case he was seen hanging around too long.

He didn't want to lie to his father… but it was for his own good. He wanted to keep the old man safe.

But Takeshi had also felt guilty about being unable to fulfill his old man's wish...

The truth was he had never really thought about it seriously.

He wondered if things would have been different if he hadn't joined in on Reborn, Tsuna and Gokudera's "mafia game" back in middle school; before the "game" became a reality and eventually took over his life.

He could probably be playing professional baseball by now; dating a nice girl that his father approved of for him; talking about his plans for the future over beer and sashimi until late into the night instead of moving around in secrecy and purposely deceiving the old man, telling him that everything with his life was just fine and dandy.

What girl would want someone like him, a person who lies about what he does for a living; threatens people when absolutely necessary and sometimes has to kill in cold blood? Who would want to go out with someone who disappears from dates with little to no explanation or in the middle of the night at just one phone call from one of his best friends and still be alright with it?

...His old man... His father would **_never_** meet her because Takeshi never bothered to **_find_** her... and now he would never have the joy of coddling even one grandchild… let alone _'a whole bunch'_ of them.

How many times would Yamamoto need to hold back his grief and wear a mask of strength and calmness alone?

_When would it be enough?_

**_Would_**_ it ever be enough?_

First it was Tsuna's assassination... Then the people the Millefiore massacred: the people he had known for most of his life, all the _Mafiosi _in that mansion in Italy and everywhere else that was Vongola territory, Dino- _san's _people in Sicily and the two subordinates who were survivors from the attack on that Vongola mansion... The unarmed Gokudera's murder... (He dreaded to have to be the one left to tell Bianchi.)

Yamamoto remembered what the Cavallone Boss had told him while they were still in Sicily and cursed himself for his idiocy; why hadn't he taken his father with him into hiding that time?!

_...And now his old man..._

**_...His father..._**

**_Who else_** would they be taking away from him? **_From everyone else?_**

_How **many** more_ would they have to kill before they could get at him and completely wipe out the Vongola mafia?

The old man was not in the mafia! _He was only his father! _The only connection he had to Vongola was **_him_**, his son, and his friends!

**_Why_**_ were they doing this?!_

The old man didn't deserve to die that way... Horribly butchered, worse than a fledgling sushi chef's badly sliced sashimi... Takeshi clenched his fists, trembling quietly with rage and grief:

He wanted to go to his father.

He wanted to see him, even if he was now only just a bloody, unrecognizable corpse threatening to fall apart at the slightest movement.

He wanted to hunt down his murderers, even if he had to go alone; even if he knew it was a very stupid thing to do right now.

He wanted to know how many slashes were on the old man's corpse… So he could replicate them on his murderers' bodies.

He wanted their blood on his blade, just like they had gotten his father's on theirs.

He wanted-

"**_Yamamoto_**-" Reborn was looking up at him with an undecipherable look.

Yamamoto suddenly took a deep breath and forced himself to still his anger. What kind of a Guardian of Rain would he be if he couldn't even manage his own problems?

"_Thank you_... for telling me, Giannini- _san_." Yamamoto answered calmly and bowed solemnly to thank the weapon tuner. Meanwhile, Reborn frowned up at him with an unreadable expression. Almost immediately, Yamamoto tried to clear from his face any signs of his grief and anger.

"You're not going after the killers?" Reborn asked, his tone telling him that if he would be ready to stop him if Yamamoto did anything rash.

Yamamoto didn't answer that question.

"I _should_ get going." He replied. "The CEDEF envoy should have entered the forest by now. I have to go meet them." He excused himself and began to gather up his things.

Once more, Yamamoto Takeshi would have to put away his grief, hidden from everyone. As the Tenth Generation Vongola Guardian of Rain, it is his duty to wash away adversity... He would not let his own problems get in the way of solving the Family's. He would not show weakness for even a short while... He would not let his guard down even when among allies.

Reborn watched him with the same unreadable expression as he stood up from his seat beside the bed.

"Did I forget anything? Hmm... _Nah_, I suppose that's everything." Yamamoto checked his things one last time. "Then... I'll see you later tonight, little guy." He tipped his head once to bid the Arcobaleno hit man 'good bye' for the meantime and turned to leave.

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 003 DISCONNECTED**

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**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 028**

**Time: **04:56:10 PM

**Location:** Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan

**Note:** Test transmission for archive file of Vongola Hitman Arcobaleno Reborn from nine years and ten months past.

**Archive Summary: **Vongola Hitman Arcobaleno Reborn's observations on Tenth Generation Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi.

**Archive File Status: **_Downloading 01.21324623 percent complete..._

**BEGIN TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 028**

Reborn silently watched him walk out of the infirmary; frowning at the man who had grown up from the laid- back and cheerful young boy who loved playing baseball, and eating _bento_ on the school rooftop with his two best friends.

"Yamamoto Takeshi," Reborn murmured quietly after the door to the infirmary slid shut. "_You forgot your smile_." [4]

**TRANSMISSION OF ARCHIVE FILE 028 DISCONNECTED**

* * *

**STANDBY FOR TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003**

**Time: **05:00:08 PM

**Location: **Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan

**Subject of Surveillance: **Vongola Guardian of Rain, Yamamoto Takeshi

He met Lambo and I- Pin on the way out.

Lambo had asked where Gokudera-_shi_ [5] was since he had promised to tutor him and I- Pin when he got back from Italy. Yamamoto didn't say anything to them about the fate of either of his two friends and instead told them to go find Sasagawa Kyoko and Miura Haru. Once they found them, they were to immediately bring them here to the underground base.

Lambo and I- Pin were baffled by the order and asked why: The two women were friends of the Family but they weren't members of the mafia; the Vongola Tenth/ Sawada- _san_ never let them in here before.

Yamamoto quickly explained that both women were in danger; they had to hurry and get them into the base before they could be found by the Millefiore.

Let the adults worry about explaining the situation to them once they arrive, he added.

Lambo looked quite troubled and seemed like he wanted to press him for more detailed answers. Yamamoto was saved from answering though. I- Pin had pulled on the back of Lambo's cow- printed shirt's collar to drag him to the nearest exit hatch.

Yamamoto was silently thankful for her seeing the urgency of the order… Lambo may be one of the Guardians, but he was still only fifteen. Yamamoto and his friends may have thought of _this_ teenaged Lambo as an 'adult' every time he came over via Ten- Year Bazooka when they were in middle school, even though he was only technically a year older than them… but Lambo **_here_**, in his proper time period, was still growing out of being a child to _them_, the real adults.

He was also pretty sure Tsuna would not have wanted either Lambo or I- Pin to grow up too fast… Yamamoto then pushed aside his thoughts on how to break the news regarding his two friends to both teenagers once they returned as well. He had also wondered what story he would have to tell the two women they were to bring back once they arrived as he walked toward the elevator that would take him above ground to the exit opening to the forest.

After entering the elevator, he leaned against the far end, frowning and tried to sort his thoughts: Fetch the CEDEF envoy and retrieve Tsuna's coffin; hopefully the envoy could bring helpful information regarding the Millefiore.

As for Tsuna's coffin: it would be kept in the underground base until Yamamoto (now with Reborn's help) could come up with cover- up to give to Tsuna's mother and their other non- mafia affiliated friends for Tsuna's absence.

Yamamoto didn't want to have to be the person to tell Tsuna's mother that her son was dead. His father, the Vongola's _consigliore_, would have most likely already have heard about it but they couldn't contact him. He might have taken his wife and gone into hiding under the pretense of taking a holiday. Yamamoto then wondered how he would break the news to Gokudera's sister that her brother had been murdered (most likely in his sleep) while in an unarmed and vulnerable state.

No doubt she wouldn't take it well... and just after the Reborn of this time period had died too...

She had always been protective of her brother... sometimes overly so, since they were in middle school (it could have been since way, way, way back; but for Yamamoto, it was middle school since that was when he first met Bianchi). Gokudera had been too thick- headed back then to realize she really cared about him... and still did. He was still somewhat thick- headed even when he got older. Yamamoto suspected that he could also be dense as well... and **_he_** used to call Yamamoto 'dense'.)

Bianchi would often bully her way into taking custody of her brother from Doctor Shamal whenever Gokudera got injured, be it a serious or minor one. (She still didn't like that man treating her brother; even though he made it awfully clear it was his personal preference to treat only members of the fairer sex). Then one day, she became even more blatantly (over?) protective of Gokudera when they reached high school for some _unfathomable_ reason. (Yamamoto suspected it had something to do with a certain 'incident' during their second year of high school... Something about Shamal trying to put... **_something_**... in Gokudera's mouth... He never found out exactly what that '**_something_**' was though. Yamamoto figured Bianchi had misinterpreted Tsuna's explanation of the situation and it had further fueled her vendetta against Shamal; causing Hell and havoc in whatever situation centered on her younger brother from then on). [7]

Yamamoto also remembered how Bianchi used to go at it with him in one- sided contests: While those contests had been funny and challenging, they had gotten very, _very_, **_very_** risky over the years... especially when it involved Japanese food... with Tsuna, Gokudera and Reborn as the captive judges. Poor Gokudera became increasingly traumatized whenever Bianchi held sushi- making contests with Yamamoto when they were in high school (and even after they entered college)...

Yamamoto made a face at the memories of Gokudera convulsing and seizing like one of the demon- possessed people in those Hollywood horror movies kids those days liked to watch. (...Maybe that's why Gokudera refused to eat the sushi Yamamoto had tried to feed him back at the Cavallone safe house...)

Reborn (the one of this time period; when he was still alive) would shoot Tsuna with a Dying Will Bullet to the stomach (turning it into the Iron Stomach Bullet) so he could eat everything before anyone else could be force- fed anything. At least everyone could make it out of the contests alive... unless Bianchi managed to produce a new batch of food out of seemingly nowhere (which she probably did...). Reborn would then shoot Tsuna with another Dying Will Bullet so he could use Tsuna to run very far away... Unfortunately that always left Gokudera behind as the unlucky guinea pig, _ahem_, judge.

What Yamamoto would give to have those carefree days back... to have the fired up and boxer- clad Tsuna in Dying Will Mode… The little guy smirking as he made his escape on Tsuna- back and Gokudera making a very good impersonation of Emily Rose... both at twenty five years old... back? [6]

_Guh_... **_What_** was he thinking...? Didn't he have better memories of his friends? Yamamoto chided himself.

He then pushed the thought of Bianchi's often overlooked brother- complex out of his mind. Then he tried to think of something else as he continued making his way to the rendezvous point.

But instead of the happier memories that he wanted to remember, the image of Tsuna in his Dying Will Mode (Yamamoto couldn't figure out how he'd managed to do that without a Dying Will Bullet.), smiling as he asked them to forgive him and if he had been a good boss, resurfaced. Tsuna then had been struggling to keep himself alive and to stop Gokudera from leaving his side. Yamamoto had only heard the "Gather the Guardians," part but the rest... Tsuna's voice had become whispers. But whatever he said to Gokudera that time, he could only guess they were final orders. He had heard Gokudera saying (yelling frantically actually) he couldn't do whatever Tsuna was telling him to do, that Tsuna should do it himself. Yamamoto, who at the time was in some distance away, had taken the initiative to call up their Cavallone allies so he didn't hear the rest of Tsuna's words.

How he wished that he did. Maybe things would have been different...

When Yamamoto had finished the call, he looked up to find Tsuna dead and Gokudera kneeling over him, distraught and in danger of becoming unhinged.

Yamamoto could remember the bile that had threatened to climb up his throat when he saw the back of his friend's shirt burnt off: two large… long, painful burns that looked like two hands had been dragged across it to form a shape that almost looked like a flattened 'V' shape made from the trailing of the fingers, were burnt across his back and shoulders. Yamamoto had figured that Tsuna made them... Gokudera had tried to get away from him again. He supposed that **_that _**was what had happened. [1]

He **_had_** seen Tsuna trying to keep Gokudera from leaving his side by wrapping his arms around their friend as he knelt over him. But it must have taken all of Tsuna's remaining strength and will to hold Gokudera in place so he could listen to his last words. Yamamoto figured that this determination to pass on his final orders had brought out Tsuna's remaining Dying Will. Somewhere in the time that Yamamoto hadn't been watching, Tsuna had, in the process, burned Gokudera. But whether Gokudera had been listening to what Tsuna had to say, Yamamoto would probably never know. He also seriously doubted that Gokudera could even pay attention to anything else because of the fact that he was being burned at the same time.

But he wondered if it was really an accident on Tsuna's part.

His control over his Dying Will Flame was impeccable. How could it have become uncontrollable then? Yamamoto thought he shouldn't discount the possibility that it also could have been on purpose.

However he hoped it was the former; Tsuna would _never_ physically hurt Gokudera on purpose and maybe if he did, he probably would have a good reason… Like literally knocking some common sense into him for example…

Maybe if he had been a little closer, he could have heard Tsuna's last words too... But Tsuna's voice had become a hoarse whisper. It was almost impossible to hear unless one was sitting close to him.

If Yamamoto had heard all of what Tsuna had to say, maybe then Gokudera wouldn't have taken all of his last words and orders to his grave. So many more lives may have somehow have been saved.

The Cavallone Boss' medical team had healed their injuries as best as they could. After being put into surgery to remove the bullets, the gunshot wounds Gokudera sustained during the Tsuna's assassination were burned with Sun attribute flames. They healed immediately and might have looked as if he had never been injured before.

But what were most puzzling were the burns Tsuna had made on Gokudera's back.

No matter what Dino's medical team tried, they couldn't erase the burns made on him. How they managed to stay on was a complete puzzle to them since they have never seen or heard of such a case before.

It was Romario who had reported this piece of information to him before they departed Sicily to get to the for the mainland Italy.

When Yamamoto heard it, he couldn't help but think at the time that it was so that Gokudera wouldn't forget. But it was pointless now that Gokudera was dead; he hadn't had the chance to pass on Tsuna's last orders.

Yamamoto frowned and thought about Dino's speculations: Tsuna **_may_** have turned over his position as boss to Gokudera since he was his second- in- command; in the absence of a blood- related successor before he died.

It **_may_** have been a desperate attempt to save the only the Vongola mafia since there was no longer any hope for the continuation of its bloodline.

Yamamoto knew that with Tsuna and his father, the Vongola's _Consigliore_; it was the end of the Vongola bloodline. Considering that everyone they were allied and or acquainted with are all targets, it's only a matter of time before the Millefiore caught up with Tsuna's parents. Yamamoto seriously hoped that they would not get caught. He wouldn't be able to face Tsuna in the next world if he let two of his most precious people die on his watch.

Yamamoto stepped out of the elevator and performed all the necessary steps to open the lock to the exit to the forest.

He needed to fetch Lal Mirch and get all the information they could get on the Vongola Headquarter's status.

As he had told Reborn earlier, the Ninth was missing. He could even have already have been killed as well; then the Vongola bloodline would then be truly dead.

It was already dusk when he stepped out of the entrance- exit. Yamamoto then began to walk briskly. He moved quickly through the forest, keeping his steps steady but silent.

Soon, nighttime fell.

Yamamoto began to take more caution in his path.

Night, though a favorable cover and circumstance for stealth, was also a time where Strau Moscas were set loose to scour Namimori.

It didn't surprise him to find one much later, hunkering some one- hundred feet away from the entrance.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at the sight of the massive, hulking form of a Strau Mosca unit, which seemed to be focused on a large boulder in front of it.

One- hundred feet was already dangerously close to the hideout entrance… He had to prevent it from getting even closer at all costs. Lal Mirch was still out there and a lone person would not be able take on this mechanical monster and hope to win.

As Giannini had told him the day before, he would have to avoid a direct confrontation.

Yamamoto swiftly recalled the spots he had seen on the blueprints Giannini had suddenly sent to him out of the blue on the way back to Japan.

"And we're still a distance from the hideout!" Yamamoto heard a female voice. He surmised that this was Lal Mirch.

But... wasn't she supposed to be alone? Did she have someone with her? Yamamoto slid the _saya_ calmly off his shoulder and drew his _katana_ quietly, quickening his steps.

Holding his sword in an offensive stance, he turned his quickened strides into a run, toward the Strau Mosca unit. As soon as he got into a suitable distance, he jumped and swung the sword high above his head; aiming to strike at the side of the Strau Mosca's head.

The shockwave produced from the attack knocked out the unit. Yamamoto knew it would only be a matter of time before it could get back online and resume roving the forest. Hopefully by that time, he and the CEDEF envoy will have reached the hideout's safety.

"_Attaco di Squalo_." Yamamoto said calmly. "I should be able to get one point from this guy."

He hid his own astonishment when he saw that there were three people. They all stared back at him in surprise (and what looked like recognition on the part of the two shorter companions of the CEDEF envoy).

The atmosphere around them was tense, he noticed. Yamamoto decided to liven up the mood and quickly added: "_Announcing the arrival of your savior!_" He then grinned.

He expected his rather cheesy quip to be at least met with some relieved chuckles. (… Maybe he should have used "_... your knight in rumpled Armani!_" instead…) Then he got a closer look at the CEDEF envoy's two companions: ...They looked **_awfully_** familiar...

"_Wait a sec... You are_..." The gray- haired one gaped.

"_Ya- Yamamoto!!_" The other continued, also staring at him in shock. "Wa- Wasn't that Squalo's technique...?" He added in an undertone.

Yamamoto kept his face from completely betraying his shock when he recognized the two of them. Then he had to mask his puzzlement… Not only was **_Gokudera_** here, but **_Tsuna_** was with him as well.

"Eh? This is not a bad joke... Is it?" He put on a half smile, tensing a bit in case it was a trap. But he couldn't help but think how nostalgic it was to see them again. "I didn't expect to see you guys too..."

Then he noticed that he had to look **_down_** to talk to them face to face.

Yamamoto noted that they were somehow a lot shorter than from when he last saw them: The Tsuna and Gokudera he last saw were more a bit more built than these two... Tsuna even looked like a middle- school kid; then again, he had still retained a somewhat boyish appearance before he died... and Gokudera was dressed like a delinquent- punk again; he even had his longish hair (although slightly shorter than it had been before they were taken to the Cavallone safe house. Yamamoto was pretty sure it had been like that when they were in middle school).

"Hm? Except," He gave a puzzled look at them, "you've shrunk?"

He looked down at the gray- haired one of his two best friends; resisting the urge to put his hand up and measure Gokudera's height against his own. Knowing Gokudera's personality, it would probably piss him off big time again. (Gokudera, although he **_had_** grown considerably taller, still came up short against Yamamoto's own height. Yamamoto remembered telling him once that he should have drunk more milk when he was younger in the dorm they shared with Tsuna during college; Gokudera in retaliation had flipped him off, threw one of Yamamoto's autographed baseballs (He should have tried out for the team back in middle school! He had a really good aim and pitch control!) at his head then refused his offer to partner with him for their Chemistry classes.)

Maybe it wasn't really the two of them; maybe they were other CEDEF members disguised as Tsuna and Gokudera in order to throw off the Millefiore's trail… But why _those _two of all people…?

Yamamoto had to make sure.

"Is this an illusion? Or a changeling?" [10] He hazarded a guess. They might actually be just Chrome and or Mukuro's doing (where were those two anyway?). The latter guess came from one of the articles in a magazine he had seen Gokudera reading the week before last (titled "The Wonders and Mysteries of the World" or something similar) and had gotten into a rather ridiculous debate over the differences between a changeling and a _nopperabo_. Yamamoto had decided to make it a test to see if 'Gokudera' would recognize the allusion and to confirm if it really **_was_** Gokudera. [11]

However, instead answering (or disappearing even), both 'Tsuna' and 'Gokudera' gave him flabbergasted expressions.

**_This_** Gokudera didn't react at all. He didn't even seem to get the reference to the magazine article…

Before Yamamoto could decide that they may be impostors, 'Tsuna' suddenly spoke up: "Ahh... We're... here from the past... because of the Ten- Year Bazooka..."

Yamamoto would have blinked and hit himself for immediately assuming they were fakes; of course **_this_** Gokudera wouldn't know about the allusion to that ridiculous debate- argument. To **_this _**Gokudera, it hadn't even happened yet!

He resisted however and quickly tried to cover up his attempt to test them for proof of their identities. "_Ahh! I see!! From long ago!_" He answered, making himself appear embarrassed. "_I- I was too hasty!_"

Then Yamamoto was vaguely aware that the younger Gokudera was looking guardedly at him. "No wonder..." He continued, smiling for Tsuna's sake as he tried sort out his thoughts regarding his other friend's adult self. "You look well." But he wasn't sure what to say to _this _Gokudera… Yamamoto was unsure of how to approach him after the last time he saw him alive… And… Something was off... If the younger Gokudera was **_here_**; here in Namimori, and that meant his adult version should have **_also_** been here, right inside this forest, before he was switched with his younger self…

Did that mean the Gokudera of **_this_** time period was actually **_alive_**?

Yamamoto began to feel very uneasy. But he forced himself to conceal it for the sake of keeping his three companions at ease with him.

"Ah... Yeah..." The younger Tsuna had replied, looking somewhat relieved. The younger Gokudera, however, was still in that guarded demeanor. Yamamoto wondered if it was all an act. What was the adult Gokudera doing in Namimori when he was supposed to have been during that attack and massacre in the Cavallone safe house? It just didn't add up.

The behavior of the Gokudera he last saw two days ago was also **_very_** suspicious: he had **_panicked_** and deliberately refused Tsuna's orders, did not take charge after Tsuna died, exhibited desperate and destructive behavior on the trip to Sicily, and even went as far as trying to strangle himself with his own hands when deprived of instruments and means to commit suicide.

The Gokudera **_he_** knew was made of tougher stuff... not… _Not_ like the one he last saw in Sicily…

Now, Yamamoto surmised, he had somehow escaped to Japan before the Cavallone safe house was attacked...

Or could it be that he was spared? [8]

Or that he had...

He didn't want to doubt Gokudera's loyalty but everything was just too suspicious.

For all he knew Gokudera's loyalty could have been just a ten- year long lie.

After all...

Gokudera **_was_** originally from another mafia family and there was still little that he knew of his past… Loyalty and treason looked very similar on the surface… It was only in the absolute moment of truth that they revealed themselves…

Yamamoto decided not to talk openly to _this_ Gokudera yet. The piercing gaze of the younger Italian- Japanese _Mafioso _had disturbed him; he couldn't tell what he was thinking so he thought he should discretely avoid looking and talking to him for the meantime.

"Anyway, let's get moving." He began once more then made to lead them past the stunned Strau Mosca unit. "We'd lose just by facing an opponent such as..." He jerked a thumb at the hulking machinery. "..._this_."

The younger Tsuna and Gokudera were wearing surprised expressions (partly skeptical- looking on Gokudera's part) when he turned his back and began to walk in the direction he had just come from.

Yamamoto frowned to himself in his mind, torn between wanting to believe the adult Gokudera couldn't possibly be a traitor and the possibility that the Gokudera he had grown up with was an elaborate lie. [9]

But now that he thought about it, there were too many suspicious circumstances pointing to him lately.

There had been a hacking incident the week before; Gokudera had personally volunteered to look into it instead of having the IT experts in his crew take care of it… Well, he had some skills of his own in computer programming... After all, wasn't he the one who was mostly responsible for the program coding of the CCC software's Alpha and Beta versions? He also knew about the Vongola's database's workings and periodically changed the passwords; he could have...

Then there was the timing of Tsuna's assassination. Yamamoto wasn't there immediately so he couldn't have known just exactly what had happened; Gokudera was with Tsuna the entire time... But according to Mariano, one of the survivors from the Vongola mansion and the same Vongola _Mafioso_ who accompanied him on the Cavallone jet: there had been a gun man responsible for the shooting. Gokudera's skills with a real gun weren't as precise all the time so it couldn't have been him... He was also wounded at the time. What little Yamamoto knew about bullet ballistics was that it was impossible for someone to shoot himself to cause wounds that look like they have come from a distance. But while it cleared Gokudera of the shooting, the some of the elements of the assassination traced back to him:

Gokudera's bullet injuries were in areas that would not instantly kill a person; only to incapacitate them to some extent. It could just easily be passed off as luck that he hadn't died from them. But how was he to know that the gun man had prior orders to shoot him in those areas to make it a cover up and keep him from getting all the blame for letting Tsuna still get assassinated?

Gokudera was also in charge of Tsuna's over- all security. Half of the men who were supposed to accompany them as additional body guards were candidates for Hurricane 59… and Gokudera had personally selected and trained some of those candidates from the entire Vongola database.

Then there was the proposal for the formation of Hurricane 59 itself: Why did Gokudera see a need to form an additional security and intelligence group within the Vongola?

Also, the strange burns Tsuna had made on Gokudera's back: what were they, really? An accident? Or were they to mark him a traitor? Or was it all just a bunch of coincidences and Gokudera, unfortunately, just happened to have to get the brunt of it that time?

Yamamoto thought about all of this as he listened to Tsuna recount beside him what they had been up to in the past as they walked. Lal Mirch brought up the front while the younger Gokudera walked behind him and Tsuna.

He then decided to set aside his speculations for the meantime. It wouldn't do if Tsuna suddenly realized that he wasn't completely listening to him...

"Hahaha! I remember now!" Yamamoto laughed when he recalled the date. "Ten years ago would have been right after the end of the Rings Battles."

"Yup." Tsuna nodded.

_'It's so strange and yet nostalgic... seeing him as a teenager again,'_ Yamamoto thought. "Sure brings back memories." He then grinned, closing his eyes, remembering not only that fateful match but many memories related to the battles for the Vongola Rings.

"What about over here...?" Tsuna asked suddenly. Yamamoto's expression unintentionally became a wistful one. Since the Ten- Year Bazooka swapped the past with future selves of people, he could correctly assume that Tsuna had already seen his own coffin... Hell, he might have even been inside it after they had been swapped. Yamamoto hoped it hadn't been too traumatic. **_This_** Tsuna is still a kid after all…

"Many things have happened since then." He replied pensively.

Tsuna looked puzzled at him. Yamamoto could still feel Gokudera's sharp gaze boring into his back as they walked toward the path he had been walking in earlier.

He also noticed that the air had gotten a bit awkward for a bit and decided to try and lighten the mood again.

"Oh yeah!!" Yamamoto suddenly grinned, putting an elbow on top of Tsuna's head jokingly, making the height difference become all the more obvious. Tsuna startled and Gokudera made an irritated noise from behind them. "In these ten years, you've gotten really remarkable, Tsuna!!"

"_Eh!?_"

Yamamoto put on another smile to keep things good-humored. He knew by this time, the teenage Gokudera should be ready to leap into Tsuna's 'defense' hackles raised and dynamite ready for lighting, considering how he was like when they were in middle school. He didn't want _this_ Gokudera to start a fight, even though he knew he was physically stronger and more experienced; but he wouldn't put it past him to spring a surprise attack on him. But the adult one's were even worse actually... Yamamoto immediately threw a look over his shoulder at Gokudera and smiled before saying: "Gokudera, you too."

He saw the teenage Gokudera falling into that sullen, guarded attitude again. He also tried to keep from showing that he was suspicious and cautious of him (and or the adult one, rather) as well.

**_IF_** in the case the adult Gokudera he thought he knew had been a fake all along and or a traitor, then for how long has he been one? Despite being at Tsuna's side for most of the time, Gokudera could be quite a loner at times. Yamamoto didn't know everything that Gokudera did when he was alone and not at Tsuna's side. For all he knew—

Yamamoto mentally shook his head and tried to convince himself again that Gokudera might have a good reason or just had bad luck…

Maybe he had a plan…

"Oi... Are we going to keep walking? If we don't get a move on it, we'll be hiking till morning." Lal Mirch called to them.

Yamamoto broke into another grin, putting a halt to his trying to make sense of things and convince himself that the adult Gokudera was still trustworthy.

"Right, I forgot to mention it." He turned to face her; remembering what the Cavallone Boss told him about the information the CEDEF envoy had been given. "The location of the hideout you had was falsified information."

Lal Mirch looked puzzled. That was to be expected... After all, CEDEF was supposed to be one of the Vongola's allies. "Sorry!" Yamamoto apologized as he walked past her. "We're almost there."

He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and picked out one of his ring box weapons. "Don't lose sight of me." He told them over his shoulder. "Stay close and follow me."

He then unwound the Mammon chain off one of his Rain rings. In next to no time, his Rain flame sprang out and he used it to charge his animal box weapon. The blue swallow sprang out and began to circle around him, causing the leaves to rise from the forest floor with the increasing speed of each revolution it made.

The teenage Tsuna and Gokudera stared at the blue Rain flame- covered bird in amazement. "What's that?!" Tsuna asked, still looking up at it.

"A camouflage for security measures." Yamamoto explained shortly. "Don't look away." The swallow then returned into its box. A split second later, it began to drizzle.

"Rain?" The younger Tsuna looked up into the dark sky. Suddenly the drizzle became a torrential downpour. "_Uwaah_!" He yelped, closing his eyes and instinctively covering his head. Lal Mirch and the teenage Gokudera ducked their heads as well. Seeing that they were all distracted with the 'forest rain', Yamamoto quickly activated the mechanism to open the entrance.

He wasn't lying to them about the rain about being 'a camouflage for security measures'; it was also to prevent them from knowing too much about how to open the entrances from the outside. He was still unsure whether he could trust the teenage Gokudera for now and he still had to further confirm all of their identities.

He would have to be very careful now, even within the Vongola's territory...

If _this_ Gokudera and **_or_** the adult one, whichever he saw first, showed signs of betraying Tsuna and Vongola, or even admitted to have broken his trust... Yamamoto would have to convince himself not to hesitate to use his sword on him.

If that was what it would have to take to save the remaining Vongola Family...

**_Omérta. _**Yamamoto had to follow the Omérta.

But he did not like the thought of having to kill someone whom he thought of as a friend... but what if Gokudera...? **_What if...? _**Yamamoto hoped with all his might that he was wrong... By _Kami- sama_ and Buddha, he **_hoped_** he was wrong... [12]

The entrance opened with the sound of the rain masking the hydraulics used to open the door. Yamamoto walked a few steps leading downward to the opening.

"_Owowow! I can't see a thing!_" Gokudera scrunched his eyes closed, covering his head.

"_This is like a jungle rain!_" Tsuna yelped as the rain pelted painfully over him.

"This way." He called up to them, wearing a smile to keep everyone at ease with him once more. At the same time, Yamamoto mulled over his mind quickly what information about the base he could disclose without revealing too much for security purposes once more… Just in case any one of them asked questions about it.

It was still too dangerous to speak about classified information until they were past the door of the passageway. Also, until he could further check whether they were the genuine thing, he would have to keep them in the dark regarding the details of the death of Tsuna's adult self for a little while longer.

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**BEGIN SURVEILLANCE REPORT UPDATE**

**Time: **06:17:10 PM

**Location: **Vongola Underground Base, Namimori City, Japan.

**Conclusions: **Fourteen- year old Tenth Vongola Boss Sawada Tsunayoshi and Tenth Generation Guardian of Storm Gokudera Hayato (brought over by unintended firing of Bovino Famiglia's Ten- Year Bazooka) recovered from forest outside Vongola Rain entrance and safely escorted to Vongola underground hideout with Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia (CEDEF) envoy, Lal Mirch.

Current time period Tenth Generation Guardian of Storm Gokudera Hayato speculated to be alive but MIA; based on premise is exactly nine years and ten months in the past in place of time period's teenaged self.

Reasons for current time period's Tenth Generation Vongola Guardian of Storm, Gokudera Hayato's presence in forest and time of departure from Cavallone Sicily safe house to be investigated. Circumstantial evidence currently insufficient.

**END SURVEILLANCE REPORT UPDATE**

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**INITIATING TSUNA- M1 ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM**

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RUNNING SYSTEM ANTIVIRUS TSUNA- M1

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**TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE 003 COMPLETE**

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**"T.R.R.o.R" Database Administrator's Notes: **_Wahahahaha_!! The plot thickens... **_AGAIN_**!! (Not that it wasn't already thick to begin with...)

**[1] Fried Octopus: **You might be wondering where it said in the canon that Tsuna **_burned_** Gokudera before he died. Well, **_it's not part of the canon_**. That's just something I made up to make more 'drama' for this story and may or may not be used as a plot device... It might only end up as just "decoration"... LOL Those burns on Goku's back have already been mentioned briefly in Rewrite 001 (_Shower scene_) and were **_almost_** mentioned in Rewrite 03 (_Dino interrupted Romario before he could tell him about them_). If you want a more accurate description of how they were made, cross your right hand over your left one (thumbs on top, palms facing yourself; as if you're hugging somebody) then pull them apart in a 'V' upwards as if that someone you were holding suddenly pulled away. (Which was most probably what had happened...) I experimented with some paint before and they look a bit like squished/ flattened letter 'V' to me... or that's probably just my interpretation of it... (Wow, like a Rorschach inkblot tests? It usually depends on the person's personality or current issues what the picture looks like to them... Does that mean... I feel 'squished'? Eh, that doesn't make sense...)

**[2] In Loving Memory of Yamamoto Tsuyoshi... Beloved Father, Sushi Chef and Swordsman:** -sniff- Yamamoto's got such a cool dad; I really like this character… -sniffle- I went 'oh no!' when I read that he was one of those the Millefiore had already killed before TYB Tsuna got there. Aww man! The old man died without ever having grandkids! (You're **_not_** flaming gay, but **_WHY_**_?! Takeshi, WHY?! _Where did your old man go wrong?! TT-TT)I'd like to think that he died fighting with the sword style he passed onto his son; the _Shigure Souen _Style's last stand before full extinction (in the case that Yamamoto dies before he can train any successors of his own... 8P). It should have been **_impressive _**for an old guy, mind you, but I was too lazy to research the sword stances and write the awesome sword- fighting scene I had in mind (I bet Yamamoto's old man fights in a "Kenshin Himura's _Hitokiri_ _Battousai_"- mode when he was younger! LOL As an old man, maybe he'd be like one of those old, grandpa- aged samurai in Akira Kurosawa's "**_Kagemusha_**_(TM_)", (**_loved_** that movie... it was **_so_** sad... everybody died; it kind of reminded me of the Evangelion(TM) movies). I imagine it might have been **_Genkishi_** who took old man- Yamamoto out. But in case that's what happened, then a battle between the TYL Yamamoto and Genkishi should be an **_EPIC _**of a **_revenge_** match… But then again, it doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon so I'll just put it in my wish list of dream fighting matches, right next to the "TYL Tsuna-in-god-mode VS TYL Gokudera-with-an-expanded- Sistema-C.A.I.-in-full-synchronization + Mist flame" one…

**[3] Oral Fixation:** OK, a psychosexual stages crash course AKA some habits that can possibly identify an orally- fixated person: always swearing, verbally abusive, chain- smoking, likes kissing, talking, chewing gum or eating and pencil- biting (that's not a complete list, alright?). Hmm... The first three sound very, _very, **VERY **_familiar...

**[4] LOST: One Smile (If Found, Please Return to Yamamoto Takeshi):** Reborn asked the younger Yamamoto if he liked the "Mafia game" when he was training him in preparation for the raid. When Yamamoto answered he did, Reborn told him "Don't forget that smile". Maybe he saw that the future Yamamoto has every reason to start hating the mafia: his friends being killed, his own life in danger, his father murdered and so many other people getting hurt just for being associated with him. Reborn can be sensitive when the situation calls for it and I think it's one of those things that set him apart from the other hit men. He probably recognizes that the younger Yamamoto is still thinks like a kid and the adult one is still merely human but trying hard to remain strong for the Family in Tsuna's (and Gokudera's) absence.

** [5] '-Shi': **Gokudera- _shi... _translates to something like '_Mister'_. The teenage Lambo calls Gokudera that instead of the more common '-_san'_ in the canon. He's a lot more respectful toward Gokudera when he gets older…

** [6] They're 25... (OMG, they're getting _old_):** Gokudera's a September baby right? Assuming they were born in the same year, that would mean he's the second oldest of the trio of friends... Tsuna's an October kid (youngest) and Yamamoto's April, making him the eldest among the three of them. (The 89th anime episode already revealed the adult Tsuna's age; I counted the candles...) I'm assuming TYL Arc takes place somewhere during September or mid- October since Tsuna was already wearing his winter season uniform (the one with the yellow blazer) in the manga the day Reborn got sent to the future first. They should probably be in their second term of second year middle school when TYL Arc started.

**[7] "Shamal trying to put...something... & Impersonating "Emily Rose": **Refer to"T.R.R.o.R.: Declassified's" **File 005: Gokudera Strengthening Program Revisited- Part I "A Killer Smile"** for what happens if Shamal ever had an interest in cute little boys with potential to become _shotacons… _And "Emily Rose"… You know... Emily Rose... as in from the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose(TM)"? (You haven't seen that movie? There was a lot of controversy whether Emily was faking possession or had a somatic disorder or something.) The Bianchiphobia(TM) has really gotten that bad... _Poor Goku_...

**[8] Past and Present Differences: **It might seem strange that adult Yamamoto thinks that there's only little that he knows about the adult Gokudera's past **_before_** he joined the Vongola. This is what I think, 'kay? Tsuna and Yamamoto didn't learn about the story of Gokudera's birth and his mother's death until they were already in the future. Since Future Arc didn't happen in their adult versions' pasts, they may not have known about it since the story hadn't been told to their younger selves yet. Am I making any sense? No? Oh, well... that's not my problem anymore...

**[9] The Adult Thing to Do: **When I read the manga, TYL Yamamoto (to me) looked like he was purposely avoiding talking and looking at the teenage Gokudera. Was it implying he was hiding something? Or am I just thinking he's acting too suspiciously; I probably read too much into it but it could explain his behavior while he was escorting Tsuna and co. to the hideout. Teenage Gokudera was frowning the whole time too. Was he suspecting that the adult Yamamoto was hiding something? How was the relationship between the TYL Yamamoto and TYL Gokudera at that time then? Were they friends? Was there still one- sided animosity? What? What?

**[10] Changelings & Nopperabo: **Look up "changeling" and "_nopperabo_" on Wikipediabecause I'm too lazy to type the long explanation.

Gokudera knows about **_weird_** stuff... He's so bizarre (all the time)... (cough-_Tsuchinoko_-cough) I forget the exact title of his favorite magazine (...but I know it's not porno...) but it was something similarly titled to the one Yamamoto was thinking... (Or I might have gotten it right anyway...) You can probably construe from the title what the contents are about. I don't know about other translations but the one I read had '_changeling'_ in Yamamoto's piece and I thought it was weird that Yamamoto knew about things like that...

**[11] The Changeling Test(****TM): **I found it pretty weird that the adult Yamamoto knows about '**_changelings_**' since he's best known for knowing **_more_** about baseball (and now sword- fighting) than anything else. (I don't know about other translations but that was what it said in the one I read). Then I thought it could have been because of Gokudera's influence. **_Maybe_** he used that as a hidden test on the teen Goku. I'd like to think the adult Yama's not as '_ditzy_' as he appears to be on the surface... He's **_really_** a natural born hit man! Things should get **_really_** interesting when he and the TYL Gokudera finally meet up again.

**[12] The Rat Killer & Omérta: **In mafia lingo, a 'rat' is a traitor, somebody who broke Omérta. Hmm... Is this a platform for a potential "TYL Yamamoto VS TYL Gokudera **_DEATH MATCH_(****TM)**"? Am I the only one who wants to see such a thing? I must be crazy... but hey... that's **_not_** a bad idea... _Kufufufufu... :_D I can have Lussuria prancing around as the round girl/gay (the one holding up the signs for the number of rounds) and Squalo as the announcer (Squalo: "_VOOOOOOOIIIIIII!!!! _IN THE RED CORNER, THE VONGOLA BOMB BRAT! AND IN THE BLUE CORNER... THE VONGOLA KATANA- BRAT! _VOOOOIIIIII!!! **LET'S FORGET THIS! I CAN CUT BOTH OF YOU UP IN FIVE SECONDS!!!**_")… Oh, yeah… and Viper/Mammon can take charge of collecting bets. (Viper: "I'll be depositing all of this into my account.")

I'd let them have it all- out on the Nintendo DS or Playstation games or whatever just so I can see the outcome, but I don't have a Nintendo DS… and I can't get the KHR! games in my country. XP

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**PREVIEW:**

**Rewrite 008: Title Pending**

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**ERROR: TRANSMISSION OF SURVEILLANCE FILE FAILED**

**RE-ESTABLISH CONNECTION?**

**(Y/N?)**

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For mission transmission connection:

1. Click the review button for (Y)

2. Click the Return to Top at the bottom of the page for (N) and reread the whole thing.

So what do you think? Is Gokudera really a rat? ('Rat' is what _Mafiosi _call traitors.) What do you guys think will happen the next time the TYL Yamamoto and TYL Gokudera meet? (cough-deathmatch-cough)

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** BONUS! JUST FOR FUN: "T.R.R.o.R." Current Stats c/o MS Word 2007's word count and author's estimates: as of 01/30/2009- I updated it. XP**

Number of authors, editors, proof- readers & beta readers: 1/1

Number of main story chapters written: 7/??

Average number of times author updates and edits: ...I lost track.../infinity-squared

Average number of pages per chapter document if font size '10', font face 'Calibri' (Author's notes, file type headings and footers, and extras included): ­21.57142857…/??

Average number of swearwords used in a chapter: 10.571428571…/?? (The numbers rise whenever Gokudera has many narrations or parts in a chapter... **Trivia: **According to my word count, this chapter (Rewrite 007) **_did not_** have any swearwords (-LeGasp!-); the chapter with the **_least_** swearword count is Rewrite 003, the one with the **_most_** swearwords is Rewrite 006... No surprises there... Everyone was getting **_killed_** already…)

Number of times Gokudera smokes a cigarette: 0/?? (Say **_WHAT?!_** O.o?!)

Number of time Gokudera thinks he needs a cigarette: 1/?? (Rewrite 006: for lighting a stick of dynamite)

Number of times somebody tells/wants him to stop smoking: 1/?? (Rewrite 007: Yamamoto's dad)

Number of times somebody thinks Gokudera should get a girlfriend: 2/?? (Rewrite 007: The Yamamotos again)

Number of times Sistema C.A.I. or part of it is activated (Uri counts): est. 3

Number of times a stick of dynamite is used: 1/?? (Rewrite 006: Blast that debris!)

Total number of times Leon and Enzo make an appearance between themselves: 3/?? (LEON!! You appeared only once!?)

Number of times somebody thinks Gokudera is good- looking: 1/?? (Rewrite 004: Rosemary, baby! ;P)

Average number of times 'Tenth' and 'Boss' is used in a whole chapter: 39.57142857…/?? (With Tsuna and Dino combined... The number increases again when Gokudera's narrating)

Longest time Gokudera has Uri activated: 04:52:21 hours (rounded off: 5 hours)

Number of times Gokudera smiles (any kind of smile): 0.5/?? (Why? He was making a half- smile in Rewrite 04 at some point… What for though?)

Number of times somebody lies/does something deceiving: Oh, gee that's a lot.../??

Number of individual times Gokudera gets pissed off (at Yamamoto or for any other reason): Do I really have to count this?

Average number of times Yamamoto is referred to by Gokudera as 'Baseball- freak': 0/?? (Wha-? Why though? Oh, well... he calls him 'Idiot' anyway.)

Number of '_cute little grandkids_' Yamamoto's old man wants: **_'tis a mystery... _**_/_?? (Okay, then... how many players does it take to make a baseball team playing the 'field'? Whoa, what...!?)


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